Halloween is getting closer, but because it lands on Tuesday this year, several spooky attractions and events in East Tennessee will be over and done before it gets here.
There's still a lot of fun to be had on Oct. 31, however. Here are a few last-minute ways to enjoy Halloween to its fullest in East Tennessee.
Visit a haunted attraction
Knoxville area haunted houses and/or trails will open on Halloween for guests who want to get scared.
Frightworks, 1904 W. Emory Road, Powell, opens at 7 p.m. on Halloween. Cost: $23-$57. Has five fright zones. Info: http://www.frightworks.com/.
Dead Man's Farm, 9567 Highway 11E, Lenoir City, open 7:30-10 p.m. on Halloween. Cost: $20 with upgrades available. With haunted house and scare-free zones. Info: http://www.deadmansfarm.com/.
Frightmare Manor Scream Park, 7588 W. Andrew Johnson Highway, Talbott, open from 7:30-10:30 p.m. on Halloween. Cost: $28-$45. Includes four haunts and a free-fall experience. Info: http://frightmaremanor.com/.
The 13th Hour, 7201 E. Emory Road, Corryton, open 8-11 p.m. on Halloween. Cost: $10-$13. Includes journey through woods and a corn maze. Info: http://www.the13thhourhauntedtrail.com/.
Mayfield Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch's Haunted Trail, 257 Highway 307, Athens, open 7-11 p.m. on Halloween. Cost: $13. Located on a burial site of a 19th century judge. Info: http://mayfieldmaze.com/.
For more information and additional dates for these attractions, visit http://www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/2017/10/13/east-tennessee-halloween-attractions-abound-october/733190001/.
Not so scary fun
If haunted houses aren't your thing, a few tamer events will take place on Halloween in Knoxville.
Blount Mansion, 200 W. Hill Ave., will host Halloween tours at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Oct. 31. The event will include ghost stories, scary legends, history about death and dying in the 18th and 19th centuries, and candy for kids. Tickets are $10 and at http://www.blountmansion.org/events/events.html. Info: 865-525-2375 or email info@blountmansion.org.
Knoxville Center Mall, 3001 Knoxville Center Drive, will offer several free activities from 5:30-8 p.m. on Halloween, and they include face painting, trick-or-treating and costume and pumpkin carving contests. Info: https://www.facebook.com/KnoxvilleCenter/.
Watch Halloween movies
Since Halloween's on a weeknight, it's also a good opportunity to stay in and watch movies. Halloween films abound and are funny, scary, weird or all of the above.
You can't go wrong with the cult classics, "Hocus Pocus," "Beetlejuice" or "Ghostbusters." If you're looking for something intense and creepy, try out "The Witch," "Get Out," or "The Conjuring." Also, plenty of gore can be found in "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre," "The Hills Have Eyes" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street."
For more suggestions, visit https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2017/10/17/heres-where-get-your-horror-fix-halloween/766935001/.
Host a party of your own
Halloween parties are a way to stay in and spend time with friends, and they don't have to be complicated.
They can center around scary movies (see above), gobbling up Halloween candy and snacks, or playing games. One board game, "Betrayal at House on the Hill," lets you construct a haunted house with tiles, and after some time, players must battle against each other when some of them become the villains.