Fairbanks

The holidays are upon us! I’m not talking about THOSE holidays (even though department store shelves are already filled with inflatable reindeer, colorful lights, and imitation Christmas trees)! I’m talking about the celebration of All Hallows’ Evening, aka Halloween.

Now, before you say “Boo, humbug!” let me assure you that Fairbanks has lots of ‘spooktacular’ events where you can enjoy yourself regardless of your age or costume choice. Here are just a few, so grab your calendar now and mark it for some special events and attractions that are only here this time of year:

A visit to the University of Alaska Museum of the North is a great thing to do any time of year, but if you’re into science experiments, bones, bugs, bats or any other unnerving activities, you’ll want to attend the Museum’s Halloween Open House, Wednesday, October 31, from 4 to 7 PM. Costumed superheroes, zombies and scary monsters are invited. You’ll also get a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum’s research labs and have time to explore the galleries. Children 12 & under are welcome free with an adult chaperone. http://www.uaf.edu/museum/calendar

If you like creepy critters in your Halloween festivities, what better way to celebrate than to explore a farmhouse that’s nearly 100 years old? This year the Friends of Creamer’s Field present, “Strange and Creepy Ice Age Animals!” on Saturday, October 27 from Noon to 4:00 PM. You can learn about all the unusual animals that live(d) at Creamer’s Field. From cows to cranes and moose to mastodons—you’ll be amazed by the diversity of life the refuge has hosted through the millennia. www.creamersfield.org

No respectable Halloween revelry would be caught dead without a zombie or two, and the Area 5-1 Zombie Zone at Fort Wainwright that opened as a fundraiser last year during troop deployment is setting up shop again this year. This “Zombie Containment Area” is so frightening that it’s not recommended for children. In fact, anyone under 16 must be accompanied by a live adult! The Zombie Zone runs October 25, 26, 27, 30, and 31 from 7 to 10 PM weekdays and 7 to Midnight on Saturdays and Sundays. Find them at BLDG 3485 Luzon, on Fort Wainwright. www.facebook.com/AREA51ZOMBIEZONE

What do you get when you mix movie make-up magic with a haunted house to die for? It’s Fairbanks Asylum, October 5 through 31 at the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds. Located inside the Badger Hall, Fairbanks Asylum (A Silent Screams Inc. Production) offers an innovative Haunted House experience every Friday and Saturday throughout the month, with additional hours on October 28, 30 and 31. According to the FairbanksAsylum.com web site visitors will experience “intense audio, lighting, extreme low lighting visibility, strobe lights, fog, damp or wet conditions, special effects, sudden actions, and an overall physically demanding environment”—in short, viewer discretion is advised! During the week, the Fairbanks Asylum also contains a custom costume shop and full service makeup services that are open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 9 PM and 4:30pm on the days the haunted house is open. www.fairbanksasylum.com