Holidays
Window Decorating Halloween 2019 Youth Commish

Winners of Youth Commission 2019 Halloween Window Painting Contest Announced

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Here’s who won the Darien Youth Commission’s  22nd Annual Halloween Window Painting Contest this year. Town Youth Director Alicia Sillars announced the winners Thursday and described this year’s contest with this statement:
Fortunately, the weather was absolutely perfect — a bright, crisp, sunny fall day. With 30 teams of middle & high school aged students painting storefronts throughout the community, it was hard not to get caught up in the fun! Like many special events, these activities are made possible as a result of the unique partnership the Darien Youth Commission forges with the public and private sectors. Special thanks to Beth Cherico, owner of Pie in the Sky, LLC (a mobile art education service) for lending her expertise to the judging portion of this event.

Darien Nature Center Events 2019
Halloween Hoot and Howl family

Halloween Hoot & Howl at Darien Nature Center

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Darien Nature Center will hold its 17th annual Hoot & Howl! Halloween family event. Hoot & Howl features not-too-spooky fun including crafts, a magic show, s’mores and storytelling around a campfire, face painting, a fall hike, refreshments and animal encounters. Costumes are encouraged (but not required) and membership isn’t required to attend. The event runs from 4 to 6 p.m., There will be a 3:30 p.m. opening for special needs families.

Halloween 2019
Post 53 kid

Haunted House at Post 53

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Get your Halloween costumes ready! The annual Post 53 Haunted House is coming from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 27. — an announcement from Darien EMS-Post 53

The afternoon will be filled with exciting events and fun games for kids of all ages. The Haunted House offers three different levels of fright.

Halloween 2019

Darien Arts Center’s First Halloween Family Fest

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Families can kick-off their Halloween festivities with the Darien Arts Center’s first-ever Halloween Family Fest, a free event from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, Saturday, Oct. 26. Children will have fun and get in the spirit of Halloween with crafts, treats, storytelling, sing-alongs and drop-in dance classes at the complementary family-oriented event, where all are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. Most activities are geared for those ages 3 and up, but children of all ages are welcome. — an announcement from Darien Arts Center

Activities include pumpkin painting and mask making from 9 a.m. through noon and Halloween sing-alongs from 11 a.m. until noon in the DAC Visual Arts Studio.

Halloween 2019

Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival

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The Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival is an established favorite fall activity for Fairfield County families, offering something spooky and fun for children both big and small. Every October for over 50 years, the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival has transformed the Tokeneke Elementary School, located on Old Farm Road in Darien, into a Halloween-themed haunted house and amusement park where kids of all ages can find delicious food, unique games and activities plus a wide variety of mechanical rides. This year, the Pumpkin Carnival is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The rain date for the event will be on the following day (Oct. 20).

Halloween 2019

Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Becomes a Haunted House for Halloween Tours

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Victorians were known for their riveting ghost stories and Gothic horror. From Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Body Snatcher to Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost, readers in the 19th century were deeply engrossed in dark tales from the other side. In keeping with this Victorian fascination with unexplained phenomena, the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum’s Halloween tours will focus on ghost sightings as they relate to the house during the 19th century as well as its more recent history, and the compelling ghost stories that are part of Connecticut’s legends. — an announcement from the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum

Visitors may run into the mansion’s ghosts, who are haunted by the darker memories that are part of the rarely told history of the Lockwood and Mathews families. These ghosts will wander throughout the Mansion, but only during our very special and spooky Halloween tours.

Holidays

Halloween Season for Kids and Families: A List of Events in and Around Darien

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There are plenty of events related to Halloween in and around Darien for kids, kids and adults and even just adults. Here’s a list. The descriptions below give you an idea about what’s offered in each event, but click on the headlines to get the full description and links:
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS
ON TWO WEEKENDS: OCT18-20 and 25-27
Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Becomes a Haunted House for Halloween Tours

—Tour times are at 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. — “Visitors may run into the mansion’s ghosts, who are haunted by the darker memories that are part of the rarely told history of the Lockwood and Mathews families. These ghosts will wander throughout the Mansion, but only during our very special and spooky Halloween tours. […] Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum’s Halloween tours, offered this year on two weekends, Oct.

Holidays

Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Becomes a Haunted House for Halloween Tours

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Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum’s Halloween tours, offered this year on two weekends, Oct. 18 to 20 and Oct. 25 to 27, will focus on ghost sightings as they relate to the house during the 19th century and more recently, and the compelling ghost stories that are part of Connecticut’s legends. — an announcement from the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum

Visitors may run into the mansion’s ghosts, who are haunted by the darker memories that are part of the rarely told history of the Lockwood and Mathews families. These ghosts will wander throughout the Mansion, but only during our very special and spooky Halloween tours.

Arts & Entertainment

Something Spooky and Fun, the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival This Way Comes on Saturday, Oct 19

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The Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival brings some Halloween spookiness and fun for kids  this Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Every October for over 50 years, the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival has transformed the Tokeneke Elementary School, located on Old Farm Road in Darien, into a Halloween-themed haunted house and amusement park where kids of all ages can find delicious food, unique games and activities. UPDATE, Wednesday, 1:46 p.m.: Darien Police issued a traffic advisory on Wednesday, Oct. 16, describing traffic restrictions, advice on driving through the area and parking availability. The new information is published both at the bottom of this article and separately on Darienite.com.

Holidays
Amazing Andy DCA Halloween Parade

DCA Halloween Parade Takes Place at 10 AM Friday, Oct 25

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The Darien Community Association is getting in the spirit with their 25th annual Mom’s Morning In Halloween Parade, happening on Friday, Oct. 25 at 10 a.m.

— an announcement from the Darien Community Association

Parents, caregivers and grandparents can bring their costumed little characters for trick or treating at the doors of local merchants in Darien. The parade then wanders down to Tilley Pond for snacks and a special show with our favorite magician and juggler, “Amazing Andy.” Bring your goody bag — there will be treats for all! Parade-goers should meet at the parking lot next to the Darien Fire Station opposite Post Corner Pizza at 10 a.m.

This special event is only $5 per child, collected at Tilley Pond. For more information, view dariendca.org or contact the DCA at 203-655-9050 extension 10 or info@dariendca.org.

Community Organizations
square thumbnail Vampires of New England

Vampires in New England: A Talk at Darien Historical Society About a Colonial Vampire Scare

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In 1990, two young boys playing in a Connecticut quarry made a startling discovery, which led to an even more frightening revelation — evidence of a vampire scare in early New England. Hear the chilling true story, Vampires in New England, with Dr. Nick Bellantoni, Connecticut’s archaeologist emeritus, during the Darien Historical Society’s Historical Halloween on Sunday, October 27 at 3 p.m.

— an announcement from the Darien Historical Society

Vampire folklore was rampant in New England from 1780 to the 1890s, and a combination of disciplines helps archaeologists to discover more about this period in New England history, said Bellantoni, who has been dubbed Connecticut’s “Indiana Jones.”

“As it turns out, a real public health issue was to blame,” he said. The case was launched in 1990 when two young boys discovered skulls at a quarry in eastern Connecticut. Bellantoni and a team of forensic scientists were called to the scene and soon discovered the site was a long forgotten colonial cemetery. “One grave, in particular, caught our attention,” Bellantoni said.

Darien Library
Darien Library Kids Spooky Programs 2019

Halloween Programs for Kids at Darien Library: Register Soon

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These programs for kids at Darien Library all require registration, and some (as noted) are already full or nearly full, so you’d have to sign up for the waiting list:

— an announcement from the Darien Library newsletter
Graphic Novel Book Club for ‘The Okay Witch’
Thursday, Oct. 24 from 4 to 4:45 p.m.

Ages 9 to 12. Does your child love graphic novels? We do too! Graphic novels are great for young minds because they reinforce language with high quality images — it engages both sides of your child’s brain!

Holidays
square thumbnail Halloween Family Fest 2019

Darien Arts Center Starts Its First Halloween Family Fest, Saturday, Oct 26

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Families can kick-off their Halloween festivities with the Darien Arts Center’s first-ever Halloween Family Fest, a free event from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, Saturday, Oct. 26. Children of all ages will have fun and get in the spirit of Halloween with crafts, treats, storytelling, sing-alongs and drop-in dance classes at the complementary family-oriented event, where all are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. Most activities are geared for those ages 3 and up, but children of all ages are welcome. — an announcement from Darien Arts Center

Activities include pumpkin painting and mask making from 9 a.m. through noon and Halloween sing-alongs from 11 a.m. until noon in the DAC Visual Arts Studio, located near the ball field at the rear of Town Hall.

Holidays
Post 53 kid

Post 53 Annual Haunted House Coming on Sunday, Oct 27

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Get your Halloween costumes ready! The annual Post 53 Haunted House is coming from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 27. — an announcement from Darien EMS-Post 53

The afternoon will be filled with exciting events and fun games for kids of all ages. The Haunted House offers three different levels of fright.