Park district hosting multiple Halloween events this month

Credit: Spurlock, Brooke (COP-Dayton)

Credit: Spurlock, Brooke (COP-Dayton)

National Trail Parks and Recreation District (NTPRD) officials are planning multiple Halloween events this month.

The NTPRD and Clark County Park District’s haunted drive-in is back on Friday, Oct. 20, and Saturday, Oct. 21, both from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., for those ages 6 and older.

Families can slowly drive through George Rogers Clark Park, 930 S. Tecumseh Road, to see family-friendly Halloween scenes, as well as some frights along the way.

Pre-sale tickets are $15, or it is $20 at the gate per carload. No one is permitted to leave their car while it is in the park for safety.

Non-event traffic will be detoured at the Lower Valley Pike/Enon Road intersection, so only event traffic will be on Lower Valley Pike heading east to the park. The westbound exit ramp from Route 4 to Route 369 will be closed for safe entering and exiting the park.

Also, the NTPRD and Springfield Arts Council will host three joint Ghost Tours of Springfield this week and next week.

“Journey into the unknown and discover the spooky secrets lurking in the city’s shadows. Whether you’re a seasoned ghost hunter or a curious visitor, our Ghost Walking Tours promise an eerie, enchanting, and exciting experience for all,” the NTPRD shared in a Facebook post.

Each tour will be led by 19th-century costumed guides with a lantern to light the way, and features some fan favorites and new thrills. The stories told on each tour are the same.

The sips and spirits ghost tour will be held on Wednesdays, Oct. 11 and 18, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. and 7:45 to 9 p.m., for those ages 18 and older.

This tour starts and ends at Mother Stewart’s Brewing Co., with scary stories from a 19th-century costumed tour guide with a lantern to light the way. Tickets cost $20 and includes a beer or soda after the tour.

The ghost tours will be held on Thursdays, Oct. 12 and 19, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. and 7:45 to 9 p.m., for those ages 13 and older. However, all of the tours are now full, except for one spot on a Thursday, Oct. 12 tour.

This one-mile walking tour is through downtown Springfield, with local legends and folklore, tales of mystery and ghosts, and historical facts. Tickets cost $15.

The fireside frights will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 7 to 8:15 p.m. at the Davidson Interpretive Center to those ages 13 and older.

A 19th-century costumed storyteller will share frightening stories from the past while gathered around a fireplace. This program is preferable for those with mobility issues. Tickets cost $15.

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