A Spooky Weekend in Montclair

There is no shortage of ghoulishly spectacular events and howling programs this Halloween weekend. If you know of a holiday shenanigans that are not on the calendar, feel free to add them in the Comment section below!

Friday

• The Montclair Health Department will host a Brown Bag Pharmacy event from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the municipal building, at 205 Claremont Ave.

Bring a list of your current medications -- prescription and over-the-counter drugs -- and have them analyzed by a pharmacist to make sure you don't have any conflicts. The event is free, but appointments are required. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (973) 509-4969.

• A lecture titled, The History of Broadway Musicals from 1913 to 1930, will be presented by local resident Duncan Kidd at 11 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Upper Montclair, at 53 Norwood Ave.

There is no fee. There will be lunch available for $10. For more information, call (973) 746-3762.  

• Join a Halloween jack-o-lantern lighting at 6 p.m. at the Presbyterian Memorial Gardens, at 474 Upper Montclair Ave.

Community members are also encouraged to show off their creative pumpkin carving abilities by bringing a jack-o-lantern to the event. More than a dozen different high schools from across Essex County are carving pumpkins in either a botanical or Halloween theme to create displays for a judged competition.

In addition to the jack-o-lantern lighting, there will be a host of family-friendly activities including a spooky storytelling courtesy of Watchung Booksellers; a Halloween bouncer; an Addams Family marathon; face painting; and crafts. 

• A pumpkin carving will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at Montclair Art Museum, 3 South Mountain Ave. Join the museum for a festive evening of hair-raising fun. Get ready for trick-or-treating by coming in costume or come as you are and unleash your creativity!

Parent or guardian must accompany children. Seasonal refreshments will be available. Pumpkins, art supplies, and tools will be provided.

There is a fee of $20 for a member family, and $25 for a nonmember family. Register online at www.montclairartmuseum.org/learn-family.php. Advance ticket sales are also available at the museum or by calling (973) 259-5137.

• Turn-A-Frown-Around Foundation Inc. will host Wacky Walkathon to End Loneliness from 5 to 11 p.m. on the Montclair State University campus, 1 Normal Ave. There is a fee of $15.

The event will promise a night of wackiness as walkers optionally dress in accordance with the Halloween theme. On the agenda will be: contests, theater, dance, and musical performances, food, prizes, Zumba and Drumba, an art show by Montclair students, a clown for the kids, comedy, an arm wrestling championship, and a haunted house.

For details or to register, click here or send an email to wackywalkathon@gmail.com.

• The Watchung Booksellers, 54 Fairfield St., will host a lecture at 7 p.m. by three guest authors titled, Writing Matters: Hope & Desolation in Fiction and Writer's Life. The three authors share their own take and experience on the above questions, and answer questions. 

• The Montclair Cooperative School and Watchung Booksellers are hosting Bookapalooza! at the school, 65 Chestnut St.

Programs will go on all weekend. The weekend lineup is as follows:

Friday from noon to 4 p.m.: books will be on sale. 

Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: book sales, book signings, author readings, and special guests Ame Dyckman and Lizzie Foley.

Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: book sales, crafts, book signings, cooking demo, and special guests Jorge Aguirre and Stacey Antine. 

Saturday

• The Montclair Historical Society and Montclair Community Farms will celebrate the expansion of Montclair Community Farms with Spoon-A-Thon from noon until 4 p.m. at the Montclair Historical Society, at 108 Orange Road.

There will be taste testing and judging of seasonal soups provided by local restaurants and caterers, in addition to live music. There will also be tours of the historic homes on the grounds of the Historical Society, as well as tours of the new farm and chicken coop.

The suggested donation for adults is $5, and $10 for a family. The rain date is Sunday.

• HOMECorp will sponsor Shred-it Day from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 8 Hillside Square. Here is your opportunity to get rid of all those useless papers and financial documents that have been doing nothing but gathering dust. All donations will benefit HOMECorp's mission of affordable housing in town. 

Sunday

• The Montclair Branch of the NAACP will hold its 96th annual Thurgood Marshall Freedom Fund Dinner and Award Ceremony from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Richfield Regency, at 420 Bloomfield Ave., in Verona. 

The theme of the event will be: Your Power, Your Decision, Vote. There is a fee of $100 to attend. For more information, call (973) 510-6431 or (973) 643-6111. 

• Halloween music for kids will be played from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Central Presbyterian Church, at 46 Park St. Stop by for spooky organ music, games and treats, and be sure to wear a custom! For more information, call (973) 744-5340.