At Mooreland Garden Inn, Halloween isn’t just a one-day affair—it’s a month-long celebration! This October, we featured our Halloween displays throughout the month during our Enchanted Evenings series each Friday and Saturday nights. Thanks to our very own Halloween visionary, Abby, our garden transformed each week with new eerie elements, setting the scene for a season of frights and delights.
Abby, our resident Halloween connoisseur, took the reins, dreaming up a month’s worth of chilling decor and enchanting displays. Together, we unveiled her spooky creations each week, with decorations becoming more haunted as Halloween night drew near. Here’s a look back at each week’s highlights!
We kicked off October with our iconic witch hats floating above the purple porch—a whimsical yet subtle nod to the start of Halloween season. A friendly toad took its place in the front fountain, joining the fresh array of gourds and pumpkins lining our steps and greeting visitors with fall colors and festive charm. Up on the upper balcony, more witch hats glowed in soft, orange light, visible from the street and calling our neighborhood friends to join in the festivities.
Week two, and our collection grew! With a new chill in the air, Abby refreshed our Witches’ Cauldron with a bold coat of paint, creating a bewitching centerpiece that came to life with lights and sound. During our first Enchanted Evening, the neighborhood was welcomed to the cauldron’s bubbling brew, complete with frightful sound effects. Our Mooreland Inn witch, another crowd favorite, returned to haunt the south lawn, glowing in an eerie green light that made her visible from afar.
Week Three, and the fog rolls in. The Halloween spirit grew even more mysterious as week three introduced a fog machine to our garden grounds. Eerie mist wound its way through the gardens, wrapping the Inn in a hazy cloak of spookiness that transformed the entire property. Abby’s creative designs took on a new level of fright, thanks to the atmospheric fog that tied our Halloween vision together beautifully.
As Halloween approached, Abby worked tirelessly to add the final details, including her signature jack-o-lanterns. Each of Abby’s pumpkins took on a unique personality, and made their home along our welcome walkway. The pumpkin’s creativity added a fresh playful yet spooky charm. 
On Halloween night, Trick or Treaters came by the hundreds in costume to get a treat from Abby, a scary witch or Gillie the cat. It was a joy to see such creativity from our community, to reconnect with old friends, and to meet new ones. Watching trick-or-treaters explore our enchanted grounds was the perfect ending to our month of festivities.
Although Halloween has wrapped up, our Enchanted Evenings will continue on November 1st and 2nd for Dickinson College Parents Weekend, welcoming alumni and families to experience our seasonal ambiance. After that, we’ll start preparing for the holiday season!
But don’t worry—Abby’s already brainstorming next year’s Halloween festivities. Stay tuned for updates and sneak peeks at what spooky surprises we have in store.
