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Scare up fun in Queens on Halloween

Scare up fun in Queens on Halloween
Photo by Caroll Alvarado
By Alan Krawitz

With Halloween less than a week away, Queens has no shortage of frightful and not-so-scary events guaranteed to bring a shriek of fun.The Queens Zoo, 53-51 111th St. in Flushing, long a favorite of kids and adults alike, has a variety of Halloween-themed activities called “Boo at the Zoo” Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 26-27.

Activities include a Haunted Habitat in the zoo’s Wild Room, specially decorated for Halloween from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. as well as Spooky Animal presentations featuring snakes and other animals at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Presentations will also take place on Oct. 31, at the same times.

If pumpkins are more your thing, then you can pick the perfect one where the early bird gets the gourd. The first 200 visitors on Saturday and Sunday will pick and decorate their own pumpkin at the Zoo’s farm.

From noon to 3 p.m., zoo-goers can get in the spirit with some colorful animal face painting that will transform them into a lion, puma or bear.

Pumpkin Enrichment will feature pumas and bears tearing into treat-filled pumpkins at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., both days. Classic Trick or Treating will also commence at stations located around the zoo and stocked with all kinds of goodies, also on Oct. 31.

Crafts for Kids will allow the younger set to make and take home a festive Halloween crafts from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and also on Oct. 31 at the same time.

And, don’t forget that children 12 and under, dressed in costumes and accompanied by an adult, will receive free admission both days and on Oct. 31.

For more information on Boo at the Zoo activities, call 718-271-1500 or visit www.queenszoo.com.

For those who prefer to explore, try a Haunted Lantern Tour at Fort Totten Park, 422 Weaver Road in Bayside, Friday, Oct. 25, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. when Urban Park Rangers will mix history with Halloween during a guided lantern tour of the historic Water Battery at Fort Totten.

Attendees must be on line by 8:15 p.m. to be guaranteed admittance. There is no cost for the event. Call 718-352-4793, ext. 301, for more information or e-mail michael.agnello@parks.nyc.gov.

Over at Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Halloween gets a remix on Thursday, Oct. 31, beginning at 4 p.m. as Dia de los Muertos, Halloween and All Saints Day are celebrated in style with hands-on festivities and fun for all ages. Come in costume for this free event and participate in making Halloween masks, All Saints Day Medallions and Mexican Sugar Skulls. There will also be ghost stories. For more information, call Flushing Town Hall at 718-463-7700 ext. 244.

If you’re the haunted house type, then be sure to check out the Halloween haunted house at the Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Floral Park, on Oct. 25, 26 and 27 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The spooky activities include hayrides, Halloween treats, mulled cider, pumpkins and apples.

The house is recommended for kids ages 4 to 12 and adults might enjoy the haunted house, too. Admission is only $4. Other activities include pick-your-own pumpkins and a children’s fall festival.

For more information, call 718-347-3276.

Check out the historic King Manor, 150-03 Jamaica Ave. in Jamaica, Oct. 26, from noon to 4 p.m. for a free fall celebration featuring a demonstration of traditional hearth cooking, churned fresh butter and pressed cider from fresh apples.

People can also try their hand at making cornhusk dolls and then hear spooky stories inspired by 19th-century literature. Guided tours of King Manor, the historic home of Rufus King, will also be available. The event is free. For more information, visit www.kingmanor.org or call 718-206-0545.

Over in Jackson Heights, don’t miss the 23rd Annual Jackson Heights Halloween Parade on Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. It will take place along 37th Avenue from 89th to 76th streets. All are invited to this annual fun and spooky celebration which is the second-largest Halloween parade in New York City and features plenty of kids, costumes and quirky fun.

Don’t want your pets to feel left out of the Halloween fun? Well, head on down to Woodside’s Second Annual Halloween Pet Parade and Festival on Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The parade takes place at Windmuller Park, 52nd Avenue and 39th Drive, and features plenty of pets dressed in their costume bests. The special activities include a pet costume contest, raffles, training workshops, grooming demos and special giveaways. For more information, visit www.woodsideonthemove.org.

Fido can also strut his stuff down at the Canine Costume Carnival in Rockaway Freeway Dog Park, 83-02 Beach Channel Drive, Saturday, Oct. 26, from noon to 2 p.m.

Activities include a costume contest for dogs as well as carnival games, a photo booth and face painting for their humans.

Although there’s plenty of things to be afraid of this season, traveling far isn’t one of them.