Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, October 31. That would seem to make it the natural night for a county-wide celebration. Calvert County's calendar works differently. In the Calvert Halloween roundup from Southern Maryland News Net, ten events fall between tomorrow, Friday, October 23, and Sunday, October 25. They run from the Calvert Cliffs parkway in Lusby to a horse rescue in Owings. The six days after that hold three things. A fire department trunk-or-treat, a one-hour nature program for kids and the last two nights of a walking ghost tour.
So in Calvert, the community Halloween happens this weekend. The real Halloween belongs to front porches. If you plan for October 31 and wait, you miss most of it. Here is how the next three days fit together, in order. The same few roads keep coming up.
Friday Starts at the Power Plant and Ends on Hallowing Point Road
The first event of the weekend starts at 5 p.m. at Calvert Cliffs, 1650 Calvert Cliffs Parkway in Lusby. Constellation Energy runs a free community Trunk or Treat there until 8 p.m. The county's event listing mentions decorated vehicles, candy, a pumpkin patch, a scarecrow contest, food trucks, tours and displays. The listing links to an advance registration form. Guests are asked to bring a nonperishable food item for End Hunger in Calvert County.
At 6 p.m., one hour later, the county's main event opens in Prince Frederick. Halloween at Hallowing runs until 8:30 p.m. at Hallowing Point Park, 4755 Hallowing Point Road. Calvert County Parks and Recreation and community partners host it. Expect trick-or-treating stations, games, face painting, local food trucks and an inflatable costume run. The headline item is an attempt at a Guinness World Record for the most toilet-papered mummies in three minutes. If your kids want a story for Monday, that's it.
The two Friday events overlap for two hours. If you start in Lusby around 5 and head north, you can catch the end of Hallowing before it wraps at 8:30.
Friday also opens the late-October run of Spooky Solomons Ghost Tours. Southern Maryland News Net lists tours on October 23, 24, 25, 30 and 31, at 6 and 8 p.m., for $20 per person. Tours meet at the Solomons Island Boardwalk Gazebo. The route covers a little more than half a mile out, so plan on about a mile of walking in all. Guests with mobility limits can email the organizers about route changes.
Saturday Splits Between Day and Dark, and Between Bay and Ridge
Saturday, October 24, is the busiest day of the season. It is also the day that rewards some planning, because the events fall into two clear blocks. The afternoon belongs to the waterfront towns and Solomons. After dark, things move inland and up the ridge.
- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Halloween in the Garden, Solomons. Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, 13470 Dowell Road, fills its paths with more than 60 community booths, plus games, crafts, a maze and a DJ dance party, according to the garden's event page. The garden's page lists nonmember tickets at $5 per person online and $10 at the gate. Members with reservations get in free, and children 2 and younger are free with a reservation. Southern Maryland News Net adds that reduced-price tickets are available to qualifying SNAP cardholders. At half the gate price, an online ticket bought this week is the better deal.
- 3 p.m., North Beach Annual Halloween Boo Bash. Costume contest registration runs from 2:15 to 3 p.m. at the North Beach pavilion on Bay Avenue. A children's parade and judging follow, and then families trick-or-treat at participating North Beach businesses.
- 6 to 8 p.m., Chesapeake Beach Halloween Family Fun Night. The town's free event at Kellam's Field Complex, 3825 Gordon Stinnett Avenue, includes a pumpkin patch, Trick-or-Treat Street, pumpkin painting, crafts, games and local vendors.
- 6 to 8 p.m., Tractor or Treat, Prince Frederick. Mrs. Moo's Corner Market, 3915 Hallowing Point Road, sets up decorated tractors for trick-or-treating, with seasonal activities, local vendors, and food and drinks for sale, per Southern Maryland News Net.
- 7 to 9:30 p.m., Halloween Guided Night Hike, Port Republic. The American Chestnut Land Trust leads a Halloween-themed hike from its South Side trails along the Ridge to Cemetery Lane area. Arrive by 6:45 p.m. with a flashlight, and expect some inclines. ACLT's guided hikes page says registration is required, and members get first access. Southern Maryland News Net gives the trailhead as 1985 Scientists Cliffs Road.
The North Beach and Chesapeake Beach events are staggered, three hours apart. That lets a family in the Twin Beaches do the afternoon parade and the evening Fun Night without picking one. In the southern end of the county, Annmarie fills the daytime, and the Solomons ghost tours at 6 and 8 p.m. fill the evening.
This is also where Hallowing Point Road gets its second night. On Friday the party is at the county park at number 4755. On Saturday it moves down the road to the farm market at number 3915. Both are in Prince Frederick. No other road in the county hosts two separate Halloween events on back-to-back nights. If you live in central Calvert, you can do the whole weekend's main events without leaving that road.
Sunday Moves North and Slows Down
Sunday, October 25, is the weekend's quiet end. It's a good fit for younger kids who are worn out from Saturday.
From 1 to 3 p.m., Freedom Hill Horse Rescue at 7940 Flint Hill Road in Owings hosts Halloween With the Horses. Children visit five trick-or-treat stations, meet the rescued horses and get a special gift after finishing all five. The suggested donation is $5 per child. The organizers say the candy is nut-free but may come from a facility that also processes nuts. That's worth knowing if a child in your group has an allergy. The horses will be in costume too, and families are encouraged to come dressed for photos.
From 2 to 4 p.m., the Optimist Club of Calvert holds its annual free Trunk or Treat in the Calvert County Fairgrounds parking lot, 140 Calvert Fair Drive in Prince Frederick. Expect decorated vehicles, crafts and photo spots. The two events overlap for an hour, so a family can visit the horses first and still reach the fairgrounds before the trunks close.
The ghost tours run again Sunday evening, which wraps up the weekend in Solomons.
What Is Left for the Real Halloween
After Sunday, the community calendar thins out quickly. The next listed event is Friday, October 30. Southern Maryland News Net lists a Trunk or Treat at the Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department starting at 5:30 p.m. The outlet suggests families confirm the location, end time and details with the department before going.
On Halloween morning, the North Beach Nature Center at 9404 Dayton Avenue runs Creepy Creatures from 10 to 11 a.m. It's a program for children ages 5 to 10 about local animals with scary or misunderstood reputations, and costumes are welcome. Spooky Solomons has tours on the 30th and 31st, its last two dates in the roundup.
That's the whole public list for the holiday itself: one fire department event, one morning nature class and a walking tour. Saturday night, October 31, is open for neighborhood trick-or-treating. That's when Southern Maryland News Net reminds drivers to watch for more people walking in the afternoon and evening.
A few practical notes before this weekend:
- Annmarie and the ACLT hike reward booking ahead. Annmarie is cheaper in advance, and ACLT requires registration.
- Constellation's Trunk or Treat links to an advance registration form on the county listing and asks for a nonperishable food donation.
- Hallowing and Constellation overlap from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday. Saturday's evening events all start around 6 p.m. in different parts of the county, so pick one region for the night.
- Southern Maryland News Net notes that dates and activities can change with weather or other circumstances. Check with the organizer the day of.
If friends or family are thinking about a move to Calvert County, or you're weighing a move within it, Jeannine Wayson follows the county's calendar as closely as its market and would be glad to talk. Let's Connect and schedule a free consultation.
