[Excalibur] Halloween more

[Andy Steinberg]

http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/10/28/43615e28e9c38

Top five Halloween festivities that the Valley offers
By Mackenzie Issler, Collegian Staff 

October 28, 2005 

The Pioneer Valley is the perfect place to be for
Halloween and the fall season. The Valley offers an
abundance of places and attractions where you can
celebrate Halloween and fall. Take advantage of what
this area has to offer. Without traveling more than 20
minutes, you can have a weekend packed full of
pumpkins, hayrides, mazes, fun costumes, cider
doughnuts and warm apple cider. 

Be prepared, Mike's Maze will take a little
brainpower. This year's maze will test your knowledge
of physics and science, as this year is the
International Year of Physics and the 100th
Anniversary of Einstein's "Miracle Year." Therefore,
Mike's Amaizing Maze has decided to make their maze
this year in the shape of Albert Einstein. After
finding your way out of the elaborate maze, the Corn
CafîYas hot and cold snacks, such as cider, soft
drinks, coffee and hot chocolate. Mike's cornfield
will feature some physics demonstrations, like a
cutting edge giant potato battery. The viewing
platform allows maze-goers to see the complicated maze
they just made their way through. 

If physics is not your idea of fun, there are plenty
of other things for you to do to make this the best
Halloween weekend ever. Hadley is the home for "the
area's favorite haunted hayride." Crazy Al's Haunted
Hayrides at Long Hollow Bison Farm will leave you
scared and grabbing the person next to you. Long
Hollow Bison Farm is located on Route 9 in Hadley. It
is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Continuous
hayrides start at 7 p.m. and admission is $10 per
person. 

What would Halloween be without pumpkin carving? The
Pioneer Valley is home for many pumpkin patches.
Everywhere you look, there are farm stands with
pumpkins. So, take a quick stop and a few dollars, and
buy a pumpkin to celebrate Halloween. For those who
want to show your artistic skills, make your pumpkin
into a masterpiece. Check out www.pumpkinmasters.com.
It has free patterns you can download to make the
jack-o-lantern of your choice.

You are never too old to dress up. Be sure to check
out the local stores, such as Wal-Mart and Target, to
assemble the perfect costume. All college students are
on a budget, so don't be afraid to get creative. Make
your own costume. Take 10 minutes and look around your
dorm or apartment. The local thrift shops are also
great places to go to save money. Feeling uninspired?
Check out this Web site, www.costumeideazone.com. It
has hundreds of ideas and suggestions for creative,
original, fun, easy and, most importantly, cheap
costumes. UMass allows you to wear your costume around
campus. Just remember, there are a few rules: no masks
and no face paint. Otherwise, sport your best costumes
and remember what it was like to be a little kid, and
Trick or Treat your night away. Try getting your
friends together to do dorm-to-dorm Trick or Treating.


Weekends are definitely a time for relaxing,
especially when you are a student at UMass. You can
celebrate Halloween and fall from the confines of your
apartment or dorm. Atkins Farm, "where the apple is
just the beginning," has the necessities for a weekend
curled up on your couch. Take a short car ride to
Atkins, which is located at the corner of Route 116
and Bay Road. Buy yourself a dozen cider doughnuts and
a half-gallon of fresh apple cider, stop by your local
movie store to rent your favorite Halloween movies and
return again to your couch to enjoy your treats. 

Get lost this weekend, scare yourself to death, dress
up, Trick or Treat and indulge in delicious treats and
frightening movies. Remember, Halloween only comes
around once a year.


	
		
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