HAWTHORN GLEN, Wis.– The 33rd annual Halloween Glen returns to the 23-acre Hawthorn Glen Outdoor Education Center.
For one weekend only, the nature center transforms one of its walking trails into a family-friendly Halloween hike. The less-than-a-mile trail includes eight interactive skits that are both educational and humorous.
After the hike, there are several spooky-themed stations full of crafts and other activities.
“It’s a great way to kind of start the fall spooky season early in October,” said Milwaukee Recreation’s Outdoor Education Recreation Supervisor Jessica Tipkemper.
Tricksters is this year’s theme and the event runs Oct. 9 and 10.
“It’s all about the tricky ways that creatures, in nature, take care of themselves, protect themselves, and exist in the world,” said Tipkemper.
The fall tradition is described as a local favorite; Tipkemper said Halloween Glen attracts about 500 people each night, often selling out.
“We have a lot of people who return year after year, whether that is our actors and our tour guides, who are actually putting on the skits, or the families and community members who just come back,” said Tipkemper.
Additionally, there is a mini hike available for children who may not be able to walk the nearly one-mile trail. A tour guide will lead families on the “Tyke Hike”, which visits four of the eight stations on the regular trail.
The “Tyke Hike” costs $3 a person and the full-length trail is $6 a person.
