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Second grader Jacob Palacios marches with his class during the Brookside Elementary School annual schoolwide Halloween Parade Wednesday, October 31, 2018, at the school in Norwalk, Conn.
NORWALK—From cosplay events to nonprofit haunted houses, Norwalk is filled with the spooky spirit leading into the second Halloween amid the coronavirus pandemic.
For the first time since its founding in 2018, the Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts is partnering with the SoNo Collection Mall to host two Halloween-themed events for the remaining October weekends.
Norwalk residents looking for a fright can attend the indoor haunted house hosted by the conservatory on level 1.5 of the parking garage of the SoNo mall, conservatory co-founder Danny George said.
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The haunted house runs every Thursday through Sunday in October and is not recommended for children under the age of 11, George said.
Twenty live actors are interspersed throughout the 25-minute walk. The actors are a combination of conservatory students and local high school students, some from Stamford and Darien, George said.
“They are all vaccinated. We are going to scare the pants off of people,” George said. “You can’t access any shops directly from that level (of the parking garage), so we are able to cut it off completely. It’s outdoors so we are safer with COVID and it covered so it’s weather resistant.”
While it is not necessary to purchase tickets for the haunted house ahead of time, it is recommended, George said.
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Tickets for the haunted house are $20 per person and can be purchased online or at the door. Thursdays and Sundays the walk-through is open 7 to 10 p.m. and 7 to 11:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Following the spooky maze, a Halloween themed bar was erected outside the haunted house, George said.
For Norwalk residents under 11, the conservatory and mall are also hosting a “not so scary” scavenger hunt at five different locations within the mall, George said.
“They meet different villains and Halloween-themed actors and are given assignments, so they have to do something at that location to figure out their next clue and at the end they get big, exciting prize,” George said.
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Live performers will be stationed throughout the scavenger hunt to interact with and help participants.
The scavenger hunt takes place every Saturday and Sunday in October from 12 to 4 p.m. beginning on Saturday Oct. 16. Tickets for the scavenger hunt are $15 per child.
“Everyone working on the event is vaccinated and we are asking for proof of vaccination,” George said. “All guests must be masked.”
The proceeds from the two events go toward supporting the Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts and funding scholarships for the conservatory, George said.
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The Norwalk Historical Society is hosting the “A Haunting at Mill Hill” tour on Oct. 15 and 16 and again on Oct. 29 and 30. Tours are held at the Mill Hill Historic Park from 8:30 to 9 p.m. on Fridays and throughout the day Saturday beginning at 5 p.m., according to the Norwalk Historical Society.
“Among the crooked stones of the Mill Hill graveyard, ghostly entities are waiting to share their stories of death, murder, insanity and destruction,” the event description reads. “Hear chilling tales based on real events from Norwalk’s hidden past. What might scare you the most is that all these stories are true.”
Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for children. The event is not recommended for kids under eight.
On Sunday, Oct. 24, the “Hocus Pocus”-themed drag show “Witch Perfect” will return to Norwalk’s Troupe429. “Witch Perfect” performed at Troupe429 in 2020 and sold out four nights.
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The show is returning to Wall Street for one evening only, with three showings at 3, 6 and 9 p.m., according to a performance flier. However, tickets have already sold out, according to the club’s website.
The centerpiece of the seasonal show is "RuPaul's Drag Race" star Tina Burner, who will be taking over the role of Winifred Sanderson, who was portrayed by Bette Midler in the 1993 movie.
"The over exaggerated mannerisms and costumes of drag are definitely a similarity to Hocus Pocus. They are very over the top and are sure to make everyone watch and pay attention to them, and queens are always demanding an audience," Burner told Hearst Connecticut. "I also think the movie is a little bit about how you have to go with your own instincts and ignore what everyone else wants you to do.”
Smaller-scale spooky events in the city include the 4th annual prima-con Halloween party at the Washington Prime steakhouse on Washington Street and “trunk-or-treat” events hosted by the Norwalk Housing Learning Centers.
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Two gift certificate awards will be given out at the prima-con party: a $500 for best costume and a $250 certificate for the best dressed couple, according to the event website. Winners must be present at 12:30 a.m. when the winners are announced.
The trunk-or-treat events are held Friday, Oct. 29 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Colonial Village, King Kennedy, Roodner Court and 20 West Learning Centers.
abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
I graduated with my master’s in journalism from Columbia University in 2020. I received a bachelor’s in journalism and English from the University of Connecticut in 2019. Before working for Hearst Connecticut Media Group I worked at the Journal Inquirer in Manchester, covering the towns of Enfield and Windsor. I have previously worked at the Hartford Courant, the Norwich Bulletin and the Republican-American. I love all things cats and Disney.
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