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Pumpkins are smiling, ghost-shaped sheets are flying and people are buying—candy and costumes, that is—in preparation for Oct. 31 and the sometimes scary, sometimes silly holiday of Halloween. For those residents of Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga who'd prefer to do something a little out of the ordinary, many special events are lurking out there.
* One of the largest is the Haunted Forest Walking Tour, which takes place Oct. 1820, 2427 and 3031 in Oak Meadow Park, located off Blossom Hill Road in Los Gatos. The Haunted Forest involves ghoulish guides leading small groups through Oak Meadow Park at night, giving them a chance to experience scary scenes and interact with the characters. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. For younger children, the Haunted Forest has a separate area called Spooky Hollow, with carnival games, trick-or-treating, less-frightening characters, a Bounce House and rides on Oak Meadow Park's Bill Mason Carousel. Admission to Spooky Hollow is $4 per child; parents are free.
The Haunted Forest is a fundraiser for the Volunteers in Policing and Disaster Aid Response Team, both volunteer-run branches of the Los GatosMonte Sereno Police Department. Proceeds also benefit the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in local schools, while local service clubs will be raising money by selling food, drinks and snacks. For tickets or additional information, call 408.354.6842 or visit www.hauntedforest.org.
* It takes place on private property instead of a public park, but Saratoga's World of Screams is no less frightening. Also a type of walking tour, it was created five years ago by Saratoga residents and friends Cyrus Saffaie and Jason Augustine, who this year formed their own production company, Cyson Productions. World of Screams lets visitors see—and sometimes interact with—scenes and characters from movies like Scream, The Exorcist, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Bloody Mary and Dracula.
"We really can give anyone the scare of their life in five minutes or less. I'd say it's a guarantee, but the event is free, so you really have nothing to lose," Augustine promises. World of Screams takes place Oct. 31 from 7 to 11 p.m. at 12960 Paramount Court, off Pierce Road. Refreshments will also be provided.
* Blossom Hill School, 16400 Blossom Hill Road in Los Gatos, is holding its annual Pumpkin Festival on Oct. 26 from noon to 4 p.m. The community is invited. The event includes game booths, prizes, raffles, food, treats and, of course, pumpkins. Participants are encouraged to come in costume. Proceeds benefit the Blossom Hill Home and School Club.
* Marshall Lane Elementary School, 14114 Marilyn Lane in Saratoga, invites the community to attend its annual Pumpkin Walk on Oct. 29 from 4 to 8 p.m. This fundraiser for the school's PTA includes games, refreshments and various Halloween-themed attractions. Participants have the chance to win pumpkins in a "cakewalk"-style competition. Participants are encouraged to come in costume.
* The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office will have its Command Van set up at Argonaut Elementary School in Saratoga, located at 13200 Shadow Mountain Drive. From 5 to 8 p.m., parents are invited to bring their costumed kids by the van to meet sheriff's deputies and receive free treats. The van will also be ready all night to receive transmissions from a volunteer force of local Ham radio operators, who will station themselves at various Saratoga schools and immediately report any suspicious people or activities to sheriff's deputies.
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