The leaves are starting to change colors, costumes are up for sale, and pumpkins are a popular decoration once more. That can mean only one thing; it’s the Halloween season!
The Northside is no stranger to celebrating the spookiest time of year, and The Northside Chronicle is here to help anyone looking to make the most out of the holiday. We have gathered up a list of four festive events taking place over the course of the month sure to be a bone-tingling good time.
The events are listed in the order in which they occur.
RiverBOO! Park 5K
Looking to get some outdoor exercise in before the weather starts becoming cold? Look no further than the RiverBOO! Park 5K, taking place Oct. 9 at 6 p.m.
CitiParks’ final race event of the year, RiverBOO! takes racers on a 5K run or fitness walk around scenic Riverview Park. The race centers around the Allegheny Observatory and wraps up at the park’s Activities Building. The run’s final mile is a particular challenge, as it is almost entirely uphill, according to the race website.
In keeping with the spirit of the season, many racers dress in costumes during their run, though this is not a requirement.
Awards are available for the top male and female finishers in the following age brackets: 11 and under, 12-15, 16-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69 and 70+.
Registration is $25 until Oct. 6, at which point the price will increase. A complimentary shirt is guaranteed for the first 200 registrants.
For more information or to register, visit pittsburghpa.gov/Recreation-Events/Events/Footraces/Riverview-Park-5KRun-Fitness-Walk.
Spring Hill Halloween Parade
Ghosts, ghouls, superheroes, princesses and more will make their way down to Waisenhaus Park on Oct. 24. Or, at least, kids dressed like them will.
The first of two costume parades that take place on the Northside, the Spring Hill Halloween Parade kicks off at 11 a.m. at the Brady Memorial Funeral Home, located at 1151 South Side Ave., and continues down Romanhoff and Rockledge streets to the park, where participants will receive candy bags.
According to Ben Soltesz, treasurer with the Spring Hill Civic League, the parade got its start as a way for elderly residents to award local kids with candy without having to take part in late-night trick ‘r treating. The residents would donate sweets or money to purchase candy to be given out at the parade.
While Soltesz doesn’t believe that reason is still the impetus for the parade, the annual event has carried on and become a favorite for local families.
“It’s always a great event for the kids, as long as the weather cooperates,” he said.
In addition to the candy bags provided to all participants, awards will be given out for those who go above and beyond with their costumes. The scariest, prettiest, funniest and most original costumes will receive an extra prize at the parade’s end.
Participation in the event is free and open to the public. The parade takes roughly half-an-hour to complete.
In addition, for anyone who needs a costume for either the parade or Halloween in general, the Civic League partners with Emma Munson Foundation to have a free costume giveaway. This year’s giveaway will take place on Oct. 20, from 5-6:30 p.m., at the Spring Hill Elementary School, at 1351 Damas St.
Brighton Heights Halloween Parade
Following quickly on the heels of its fellow Northside neighborhood, Brighton Heights will host their own Halloween parade on Oct. 24 starting at 1 p.m.
This parade kicks off at the parking lot of Kunsak Funeral Home, located at 3552 California Ave., at 1 p.m. The costumed procession will travel down Davis Avenue until reaching Legion Memorial Park.
The parade will be joined by fire trucks, mounted police officers and a marching band.
At the end of the parade, several activity booths will be available at Legion Park to continue the fun.
“We’ll have games and treats for the kids,” said Nick Petrillo, member of the Brighton Heights Citizens Federation, which organizes the annual parade.
Fright Nights at Anderson Manor
The final three days of October are perhaps the spookiest of all on the Northside, as they are given over to Fright Nights at Anderson Manor, a local haunted house attraction that fundraises for a good cause.
Run by the Iota Phi Foundation of Pittsburgh, Fright Nights at Anderson Manor supports two of the Foundation’s programs. The first is the Annual Sylvester Pace HBCU Tour, which takes Pittsburgh area high school students on a tour of historically Black colleges and universities across multiple states, and the second is the Iota Phi Mentoring Program.
“Fright Nights at Anderson Manor is primarily a really fun, family-friend, old-school haunted house,” said Dr. Rahmon Hart, the board chairman of Iota Phi. “It’s designed to be scary and really just to give the community a very economical but high-quality experience that they can enjoy, have fun at and be safe.”
The manor will be open Oct. 29-31 and is located at 1423 Liverpool St. It will be open from 7-11 p.m. on Oct. 29, and then from 7 p.m. to midnight on the remaining days.
For those wanting to be especially scared, Hart recommends coming on the final day.
“We’re going to turn it up a few notches (on Halloween),” he told The Chronicle. “That’s all I can say.”
The house is put together by the students who will be taking part in the tour, as well as by Iota Phi Foundation staff. In fact, Hart himself gets in on the action as a scare actor.
“It’s a great bonding moment for (the students) to see us in not-so-professional light,” he said. “We’re having as much fun as they are.”
Tickets for the haunted house are on sale now at givebutter.com/hbcutour2027. A general admission ticket is $20, while a fast pass — which allows the ticket holder to skip a large part of the line — is $30.
While attendees are waiting in line for the attraction, classic horror movies will be shown on a 14-foot projection screen and concessions, including hot cider and popcorn, will be available for refreshments.
