Tovin Lapan
The leaves may never change colors, and the temperature never drops too far, but Hawaii still knows how to get into the Halloween spirit.
Honolulu and its surrounding areas in particular are full of activities and events, and the city itself is home to numerous ghost stories and creepy legends thanks to its long history as a critical Pacific port that has attracted visitors from all over the world for more than a century.
For visitors who find themselves on the Islands at the end of October with a costume and no place to go, here are some of the top Halloween activities and events.
Lahaina Halloween Party: Each year the party in the center of town boasts one of the best turnouts for any single Halloween event in the Aloha State. Costumed revelers pack Lahaina's Front Street, which is closed to vehicle traffic, for the event which is referred to as the "Mardi Gras of the Pacific." The festivities begin before sunset with a children's costume parade and contest. At night, many of the bars and restaurants offer live entertainment, drink specials and costume contests.
Hallowbaloo: Held in Honolulu's Chinatown neighborhood, the street festival includes an expansive craft beer garden, live music, art displays and food vendors. This year the event will be held Oct. 27 and runs from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m., with a full lineup of DJs, bands and other entertainment on three stages. The first half of the evening is dedicated to a costume street festival, with music, pop-up restaurants and food trucks and art. Then, after 11 p.m. "Club Hallowbaloo" kicks off, where partiers get access to 11 clubs for one cover charge. Access to the street festival alone starts at $12 per person, while a Club Hallowbaloo ticket, which includes street festival access, starts at $20.
Aloun Farms Pumpkin Festival: For the 18th year in a row, Aloun Farms on Oahu is hosting a series of family-friendly pumpkin-centric events through the month of October. The festival includes tractor-pulled hayrides, pony rides, farm style food, picture booths and games for all ages. Admission is $3 per person (children 2 and younger are free) and pumpkin prices are based on size. The pumpkin patch will be open three weekends - Oct. 13-14, 20-21 and 27-28 -- from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Haunted Plantation: This seasonal haunted village attraction west of Pearl Harbor opens for a little more than a week around Halloween and features 60 actors who do their best to scare visitors into embarrassing states of cringing fear. Children younger than 13 are not admitted, and the warning for the attraction is paragraphs long and alerts guests to flashing lights, low visibility, disorienting sounds, moving floors and damp or wet conditions. This is not for the faint of heart.
Skeleton Key Hawaii: In Kailua, east of Honolulu, this haunted attraction features a new theme and storyline each year. This year's motif is a spooky traveling show dubbed the "Carnevil of Screams," complete with terrifying, sadistic clowns. The Halloween show is designed by Jorge Garcia, a huge horror fan and actor who has starred in "Lost" and "Hawaii Five-O." This attraction also features multiple special effects and is not for those with heart and breathing conditions, and children under 12 are not permitted. They do offer some toned-down special performances for younger children.
Dole Pineapple Plantation: Home to one of the largest garden mazes in the world, the attraction also puts on the "Nightmare at Dole Plantation" every year with a haunted house. The ghosts and goblins lurking in the 3-acre pineapple maze add even more tension to the
frantic search for the exit.
Oahu Ghost Tours: Operating year round, this nighttime tour company focuses on the spots with the creepiest, gooriest histories, including sites of ancient sacrifices, and old hospitals that housed sick children during World War II. All of the stories shared by guides are real, and tours are held Monday through Saturday. The "Myths and Legends of Waikiki" tour ($33 adults, $24 children 7-12) covers everything from periodic reports of sightings of the Fire Goddess Madame Pele to the legend of the "Choking Ghost of Waikiki," who lies in wait until you go to sleep in your hotel bed to attack.
Coral Crater: For a more action-oriented Halloween activity this Honolulu adventure park with ziplines and climbings walls offers a Zombie Apocalypse Escape Mission ($55.99 per person). In the live action laser-tag style game, participants are dropped into an apocalyptic village with their faux firearms and have to make sure to hit their live zombie targets in the head, or the attackers won't go down. Once the village is secured, the heroes ride a zipline to safety.