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Grains Not Brains: New to town this year, and likely the most entertaining Halloween event aside from downtown shenanigans, is the apocalyptic Zombie Farms, a family-run, half-mile trek through the eerie forest of Highwater Farms (located at 4965 Lexington Rd.). More than your average gore-centric thriller, this haunted trail comes with a pretty creative back-story. As the tale goes, an out-of-town businessman offered a new cost-effective labor force to local farmers interested in organic farming, promising that the workers would perform tirelessly around the clock without complaint, but failed to mention that the workers were actually zombies. After a slew of animal slayings and mysterious disappearances, the zombies sought refuge at Zombie Farms, a simulated environment for the “living-challenged†to go about their ways and farm peacefully without being persecuted by “brain-bashing humans.†Zombie Farms is open 8 p.m.–12 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays through October, and tickets are $16 each. For more details, visit www.zombiefarms.com.

Zombie Farms

Aw, Shucks: Located a mile away from Georgia Square Mall, the five-acre Athens Corn Maze at Miller Family Farms (1035 Cleveland Rd., Bogart) offers a good old-fashioned labyrinth to celebrate the fall harvest. Aside from the maze itself, the grounds also offer pony rides, a farm animal petting zoo and a “Hey Hey Hayride†for children. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to roll around in a giant sandbox full of shelled corn, they’ve got that, too. The maze is open Thursday through Sunday each week through Saturday, Nov. 3, and admission costs $10 per person. Visit www.athenscornmaze.com for more information.

It’ll be easy for anyone directionally challenged to get turned around while navigating through the two miles of pathways in Washington Farms’ 8.5-acre corn maze, but clues along the way and two bridges overlooking the field should help. This year’s elaborate maze design was created to celebrate the farm’s newest feature: swimming pig races. Other daytime activities include a petting zoo, hayrides, jumping pillow, pumpkin slingshot, corn hole and vortex tunnel. Entry is $10–$12, and as this year marks the launch of “Maze with a Purpose,†in which a percentage of ticket sales will go to Kupendwa Ministries in Uganda, Africa. The corn maze is open on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights. For more information and hours, go to www.washingtonfarms.net.

Land of the Dead: If you’ve ever witnessed a row of ghost tour hearses lined up against a curb in downtown Savannah, one of the “most haunted cities in America,†you may have wondered where all the ghosts in Athens have gone. While not as prevalent as in Savannah, there’s still a few well known characters lurking around, apparently, and the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation’s annual “Athens’ Darkest History Tour†will cover everything from legends of ill-fated Confederate soldiers, tragic lovers and murder victims to superstitions, mysteries and other folklore of the Classic City. The guided ghost walk, covering downtown and UGA’s North Campus, will be held Friday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m. Tickets to the two-hour tour are $15. Call 706-353-1801 or visit www.achfonline.org.

The UGA Student Alumni Association will host a spooky tour of its own themed “Nightmare on Broad Street,†on Tuesday, Oct. 23 and Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 8–10 p.m. Meeting at the UGA Arch and winding its way around North Campus, the ghost walk will stop along some of oldest buildings around while its storytellers divulge tales of campus’ most peculiar hauntings. The tour is free, but guests are encouraged to bring canned goods to help support the Northeast Georgia Food Pantry. For more information, email eptighe@uga.edu.

Over in Watkinsville, Melissa Piche of North Georgia Tours will lead “Haunted History Tours†at 8 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in October as well as on Halloween day. Sharing both legends and historical accounts, Piche will begin the stroll at Eagle Tavern, a site considered to be one of the most haunted in the state, and visit other shadowy spots. While not appropriate for mortals under 12 years old, kid-friendly tours can be arranged upon request. Tickets are $12 each, and reservations can be made by calling 706-340-4357 or by emailing mpiche@northgeorgiatours.net.

Witch Crafts: The Farmington Depot Gallery will host its annual family-friendly Festiboo festival on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. An artists’ market ranging from folk art to fine art will include pottery, textiles, jewelry, photography, glassworks and more, and “Bucolanalia,†an exhibit of paintings and drawings by Matt Alston, will be featured in the lower gallery. Plenty of kids’ activities will be available throughout the day, including haunted hayrides (also on Saturday, Oct. 27) beginning at sunset. Visit www.farmingtondepotgallery.com for more information.

Streets of Mayhem: Hopefully, you’re already preparing for the fourth annual Wild Rumpus Parade and Spectacle that will turn the streets of downtown into one of the year’s most interesting displays of Athens’ creativity on Saturday, Oct. 27. The beauty of it all is that there are no entry fees, registration forms or other participation requirements; simply show up at the corner of Clayton and Pulaski streets in your best costume at 7 p.m. and be ready to march at 8 p.m. Participants are encouraged to form “brigades†of corresponding costumes (Monty Python monks, bellydancers, zombie princesses, classic film monsters, etc.), and this year’s parade is open to themed floats for the first time. The parade ends at an afterparty at Georgia Theatre with performances by Velveteen Pink, Kite to the Moon and of Montreal. For more details, visit www.wildrumpus.org.

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