By Sean P. Ray |Managing Editor

October has come once more, the spookiest time of year. As we get closer and closer to Halloween, the Northside is getting into the spirit with a series of fun activities and events to celebrate the holiday.

We’ve collected four such local events, presented in no particular order, perfectly suited to get anyone into the spirit of Halloween. So get your jack-o-lantern carving equipment ready and bust out your spookiest costume as we take a look at all the ways you can enjoy your October.

1. Pumpkinfest

After making its return for the first time in four years in 2023, Pumpkinfest is back to its regular annual schedule for its 30th iteration.

The festival will be held in East Park of Allegheny Commons on Oct. 12, from 1-5 p.m., with a rain date of Oct. 13. Registration begins at noon at the corner of East Ohio Street and Cedar Avenue.

Activities include a petting zoo, mechanical rides, hay bale rides, puppet shows and more.

Perhaps the biggest attraction of all, however, is what the festival is named after. All kids attending will receive a free pumpkin, and there will be a pumpkin decorating contest for them to take part in.

Pumpkinfest is aimed at children 12 years and younger. Entrance requires a $5 donation per child, though there are no other costs at the festival.

For more information, call (412) 321-1204 or visit deutschtown.org/pumpkinfest/

2. Spring Hill Halloween Parade & Fall Festival

Kids march in the 2022 Bright Heights Halloween Parade. This year’s iteration of the parade will take place on Oct. 26 starting at the corner of Massachusetts and Davis avenues, with registration beginning at noon. Photo by Sean P. Ray

Spring Hill will seem more like a haunted hill on Oct. 19 as the neighborhood’s annual Halloween parade will take to the streets.

Check-in for the parade will begin at 11 a.m. at Brady Memorial Home on South Side Avenue, with the parade to start soon after at 11:30 a.m.

Further details on the parade are still being worked out, and will be posted at SHCL.org once they become available. The parade has traditionally been followed by a Fall Festival at the Spring Hill Playground/Baseball Field. Costume contests have also been a feature, and the parade itself is typically escorted by a marching band and mounted police officers.

The parade is organized by Spring Hill Civic League.

3. Brighton Heights Halloween Parade

Ghosts, ghouls and goblins will take to the streets of Brighton Heights on Oct. 26 as the community holds their annual Halloween parade.

The parade is open to anyone, regardless of age or residency. The procession will start at the corner of Massachusetts and Davis avenues and proceed to Legion Park.

New to this year’s parade is a best costume category for pets. Friendly, leashed pets can also take part in the event, and costumes for them are encouraged.

There will also be a costume contest for kids, with various age groups.

Registration will begin at noon at the Kunsak parking lot, near the start location of the parade. There will also be festivities held at Legion Park after the parade’s conclusion.

For more information, check out the Brighton Heights Citizens Federation Facebook page.

4. Fright Nights at Anderson Manor

Haunted mansions are a hallmark of Halloween stories, and Fright Nights at Anderson Manor gives attendees the chance to experience this time-honored trope.

Organized by Iota Phi Foundation of Pittsburgh, the haunted house will celebrate its fourth year this October with four floors of frights. The attraction will run from Oct. 24 to Oct. 27, from 7 to 10 p.m. each night.

“Each year we’ve taken it to another level,” said Dr. Rahmon Hart, board chairman of Iota Phi Foundation.

This year’s version features a maze that takes up the manor’s courtyard.

Built in Manchester around 1830, the manor was originally occupied by Colonel James Anderson, who would open his personal library to working boys every Saturday night. Famously one of the boys who took advantage of the free books was Andrew Carnegie, and the service helped inspire the Carnegie Library system.

Fright Nights at Anderson Manor carries on the tradition of associating the estate with education. The haunted house serves as a fundraiser for a weeklong college tour Iota Phi Foundation of Pittsburgh offers to local high school students during spring break, giving the pupils the chance to visit 14 different universities and help shape their high education decisions.

For those who want to lend their support but are too scared to go through a haunted house, concessions and an outdoor movie theater on the manor’s deck will also be offered, with plenty of scary movies being shown.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at zeffy.com/ticketing/e6c39f90-5cf1-414b-9d84-0d510bb17f6d