Pottstown Halloween Parade is back on; many other spooky events scheduled to celebrate the holiday

POTTSTOWN — Just weeks after it was announced that the Rotary Club could no longer sponsor the annual Halloween Parade, seven organizations have stepped into the void to pick up the banner and run with it.

Last month, the Pottstown Rotary Club, which has sponsored the parade for years, announced it did not have, and could not raise, enough money to stage the parade for 2023 and it was canceled.

But some were not willing to let the parade die.

Hobart’s Run, the neighborhood revitalization organization funded by The Hill School, joined up with the school, the Pottstown Parks and Recreation Department, the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, Pottstown Hospital, and state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick and state Rep. Joe Ciresi to jump-start the effort.

The Pottstown chapter of the NAACP worked behind the scenes to bring the partners together to get the parade back up and running.

The parade will take place, as always, on High Street on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m.

Now that the sponsors have covered the cost, the Parks and Recreation Department is putting out the call for floats and costumed marchers.

There is no fee to be in the parade, but you must register and you can do so here by clicking on the registration link — https://pottstown.recdesk.com/Community/Home — or through the Hobart’s Run or Pottstown Parks and Recreation Facebook pages.

The parade is not the only Halloween-themed event going on in Pottstown this month, far from it.

• On Oct. 7, “A Walk to Remember” will be held at Edgewood Cemetery in the 900 block of High Street. Tour guides and period-costumed storytellers will describe the interesting people buried in this prominent Pottstown resting place — from our founding fathers; and mothers — to Civil War generals and other distinguished servicemen. Tours are at 1 p.m., 1:34 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Tickets, which are  $20 for adults and $10 for students must be purchased online — https://givebutter.com/WalkingTour-1PM — and will not be available the day of the walk.

• On Oct. 13, Friday the 13th, a production of “The Addams Family” opens at Steel River Playhouse at 245 High St. and runs through Oct. 29. Tickets are $29 for adults, $24 for Seniors (65+), and $17 for Students.

• On Oct. 20 and 21, Pottstown FARM will host “History & Haunts of Pottstown Tours!” which will raise money for the market. Enjoy hearing the many stories of hauntings and end with light bites and a “toast with a ghost” at the Elks Club to end the fun! Tickets, $20 per person, are on sale at www.pottstownfarm.org Tours begin at High and Charlotte streets and are held at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m.

• On Oct. 20 at 6 p.m., Pottstown Regional Public Library will host “Halloweenfest.” This special after-hours event will feature a Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt, a paranormal investigation, card readings, ghost painting, and refreshments. Entry is donation-based. The Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt is $20 per person; space is limited. Please email mbealer@mclinc.org to register and ask any questions.

• On Oct. 20 and 21 and again on Oct. 27 and 28, Manatawny Green Mini Golf at 71 W. High St. will host “Spooky Golf,” from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. It features Halloween decor, fog machine, dynamic lighting and Halloween sounds, all for $9.

• On Oct. 21, from noon to 4 p.m., Pottstown Community Arts will host “Haunts on High,” from Hanover Street to the library. It is a family-friendly event for safe trick-or-treating, with a kid’s art show, face painting, crafts and more. The rain date is Oct. 28.

• On Oct. 27, the Ricketts Community Center will hold a Trunk or Treat event in the parking lot at 658 Beech St. from 5 to 7:30 p.m., featuring fun, food, music and giveaways.

• On Oct. 28, Syreeta Jones-Starks Second Annual Trunk-or-Treat will be held in Memorial Park from 4 to 7 p.m.

• On Oct. 29, Hobart’s Run will host its annual Run by the River 5K during which many runners have been known to run in costume. The run starts at 9 a.m. in Riverfront Park. Registration, which can be done online, starts at 8 a.m.