Where to find the treats in western NC this Halloween

If you are interested in finding the sweet local attractions this Halloween, look no further. There are many things going on in and around our small college town as Halloween gets closer. This list of four spooky adventures range from scary to family friendly, plus cost friendly for all the broke college students out there.

  1.  Haunted Cherokee Zombie Run

Get ready to run on October 28th! At this 5k, the zombies chase you with a mission to kill you. In order to “kill” you, the zombies take flags off your belt. If you end the race with at least one flag then you have survived! The 5k costs $25 for pre-registration and $30 to register the day of. If running is not your thing, you can dress up as one of the killer zombies! Attending as a zombie is completely free and if you dress the best, you might even win a cash prize!

2. Sigma Chi Haunted Trail

This family friendly haunted trail is a sure hit with any family! Located off Old Cullowhee Road, this trail might just send you home spooked. Walking the trail is free for children 6 and under, and costs $3 for adults and $2 for children (7-14 years). All the proceeds go to Huntsman Cancer Research. The spook-tacular fun starts October 26th at 8PM, and the last group departs at 10 p.m. If you have questions or need helping finding the trail you can call (704)960-8372.

3. Where Shadows Walk

If you want to find out where the spooky things live, this walking tour is for you! You can walk with the shadows in Franklin, Sylva, and Waynesville. If walking around town doesn’t scare you enough, you can also tour haunted houses in Franklin. If you are really in the mood to be spooked, you can tour The Woodlawn Cemetery in Franklin. These tours are very reasonably priced, only $20 for a night full of scares. You can go on their website to book your night. These tours also go on until the end of November!

Students caught running in fear at last year’s Haunted House. Photo by Paul Heckert.

4. The 9th Annual Wesley Foundation Haunted House

Don’t let the fact that this Haunted House is located inside a church keep you from thinking it has the potential to scare you senseless! This year’s theme is centered around “Paranormal U,” the most terrifying ghost hunting reality show on TV. Daring guests of the Haunted House are invited to join in on a LIVE investigation with the Paranormal U team of the entire church. Over 70 years of paranormal activity has been recored on site and the team is ready to get to the bottom of it. To get in on the investigation, head over to Cullowhee United Methodist Church across from Brown Hall on Oct. 27 and 28. The house will be open 7:30 p.m.- midnight. Admission to this terrifying attraction is just $5 and it is not recommended for young children.

If you’re searching for lighthearted celebration or a horrifying thriller, the Cullowhee community has it all. The only question is: can you handle it?