County provides various Halloween activities

Whether it be the whiff of lilac perfume from a ghostly apparition or a close encounter with a pair of sharp, glistening teeth, Halloween in Orange County this year will surely prove to be a ghastly affair.

Though the celebration on Franklin Street seems to receive most of the hype, other parts of the county also will provide activities for revelers.

The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough is hosting a Haunted Hillsborough Guided Walking Tour on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.

The tour highlights local haunts and legends, including the tale of William Hooper, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said Jeffrey Durst, education and interpretation specialist for the alliance.

When Hooper's body was removed from Hillsborough, a portion of it was left behind, according to the legend. His ghost now walks the land between Greensboro and Hillsborough to find the rest of his mutilated body, Durst said.

Another spirit on the tour announces her presence with lilac perfume, her favorite scent, he said.

Tickets are $5 for children and $10 for adults and can be purchased at the Orange County Visitors Center at the Alexander Dickson House, located at 150 E. King St. in Hillsborough.

On Friday and Saturday, equipped with only dim light sticks, daring locals can come face-to-face with predatory carnivores in the dark and in the woods.

The Carnivore Preservation Trust in Hillsborough will host a Halloween twilight tour event that lets people get close to endangered tigers, snow leopards and jaguars in a dark and spooky atmosphere.

Tours kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $20 for adults, ages 13 and up.

"It's a different kind of scary. You are going into their environment at night," said Pam Fulk, the program director at the trust.

She said the animals are more active and vocal at night.

"You don't even know they are there until you see their eyes," Fulk said.

For those more interested in fall festivities such as free pumpkin carvings and pony rides, the Annual Harvest Festival is Saturday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Spence's Farm in Chapel Hill. The event features music, face-painting, games, food, a bonfire and old-time folk music.

Rosemary DiCandilo, administrative director at Spence's Farm, said the event is more of a harvest festival than a Halloween festival.

"The $7 admission fee is a fund-raiser for children's scholarships towards our programs," she said.

Far removed from Franklin Street, Spice Street at University Mall is hosting a masquerade Saturday, filled with the flutter of opulent feathers and the sparkling glitter of golden 18th-century Venetian masks.

The event, which will take place from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., will feature a live jazz band, two salsa workshops and a disc jockey.

"This is a more adult environment and is a lot more upscale," said Calvin Lloyd, the event's organizer.

Hand-made Venetian masks will be handed out on a first come, first served basis. General admission tickets are still available at $15 each.

Lloyd said the masquerade promises to be a romantic and elegant evening, and will provide opportunities for networking and socializing.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.