Pumpkin fling in Yaphank

The Suffolk County Farm and Education Center in Yaphank holds its yearly Pumpkin Catapult Contest, aka the Pumpkin Fling, on Saturday, October 27. You build a catapult, fling a pumpkin and vie for prizes. Click here for more information, entry forms and “acknowledgement of risk” forms.

Halloween on Long Island – haunted houses

Who knew there was a website dedicated entirely to listing haunted houses, spooky walks, haunted hayrides and other Halloween events? With the scare-factor rated by readers. Aptly titled http://www.lihauntedhouses.com/

Ghostly Gala at Long Island Children’s Museum

A very unscary Halloween for the younger set. Long Island Children’s Museum’s Ghostly Gala.

Show off your costumes, collect candy around the museum, face painting, decorate a goody bag, create a glow-in-the-dark spider and more. $7 per person, an extra $3 for the bat show, whatever that is!

Dickens Festival Nov. 30 in Port Jeff

“A Christmas Carol” comes alive in Port Jeff the weekend of November 30 – December 2.

Among the activities:

“In celebration, the Port Jefferson Dickens Festival beckons to one and all with the Yuletide tradition of High Tea, complete with gorgeous live music, at the First Presbyterian Church.” See the site here Check out the costumes you can rent from Antique Costume and Prop Rental by Nan Guzzetta

Long Beach Fall festival

A costume parade, pumpkin patch, crafts, a haunted house and rides are all set up at Kennedy Plaza in front of Long Beach City Hall at the town’s annual Fall Festival. October 20-21.