Wesbury's Black Pearl won the float competition's Best Overall category in 2010. - contributed by Andy Clawson

Have any Halloween weekend plans? Join tens of thousands that gather in downtown Meadville to for the Annual Halloween Parade this Saturday, October 29.

Sponsored by Annual Crawford Area Young Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Meadville Chamber of Commerce, the parade is celebrating its 45^th year with the theme “Through the Ages.”

Called the largest nighttime parade in Pennsylvania, this parade attracts about 25,000 spectators, lining the streets of Meadville to sneak a peak at over a hundred entries and floats.

“People come from all over. We get participants and spectators from all over Crawford, Erie, and Ohio. They see our buinesses, what Meadville has to offer,” said Halloween Parade Chair, Meghan Cressman.

Cressman said over 140 entries, from local pageant organizations to motorcycle clubs, have registered so far for the parade. Competition for best float is steep, including youth, for-profit, non-profit, and overall categories.

Last year, Wesbury Retirement Community took home the prize for overall under last year’s “Treasure Island” theme.

“Wesbury’s float was modeled after the Black Pearl pirate ship. It had a cannon that fired off, Captain Jack Sparrow, and other characters from the ‘pirates’ films,” said Andy Clawson, Director of Communications at Wesbury.

Kids rode in tiny pirate ships as part of Wesbury's Black Pearl float in 2010's Meaville Halloween Parade. - contributed by Andy Clawson

“We even had our small ‘train’ we use at our chicken BBQ. It was pulled by a tractor, made into tiny pirate ships, and kids rode in those.”

Unique themes and the possibility of an award each year encourages float builder volunteers to go over the top year after year.

“It just shows a lot of hard work, time and energy pays off, and gives those that volunteer the incentive to go bigger and better the next year.”

“You never know what you’re going to see. The reason we have a theme is to keep it new and fresh each year,” said Cressman.

This year, the CAYCC is establishing a two-block “siren free zone” where families that may be sensitive to loud noises can appreciate the parade without starling siren sounds. Families can sit in between the corner North and Market St. to Market and Walnut St.

The parade goes on regardless of rain; dress for the weather. If rain holds off, Clown City Clowns will circulate the crowds starting at 5 p.m.

Parade line up starts at 4:00 p.m. and needs to be in place by 4:30 p.m. To be considered for float competition judging, floats need to be ready by 5 p.m.

The parade starts promptly at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.meadvillehalloweenparade.com.

I don’t like horror movies. And I normally only go along on haunted house tours unless friends are dragging me.

But I would gladly return to this haunted attraction right in our back yard: Ghost Lake at Conneaut Lake Park.

I couldn’t face Ghost Lake alone; when I visited Conneaut Lake Park during its first open event weekend, I brought my best friend and her boyfriend along for the journey.

Mild-mannered amusement park by summer, haunted attraction by fall.

Purchasing tickets to Ghost Lake allow patrons entry to the “Nine Levels of Terror.” Different iconic park buildings, such as Hotel Conneaut or the Beach Club, turn into haunted houses and mazes guarded and guided by costumed spooks.

Ghost Lake grows bigger and more popular by the year—but the 200-acre park is literally quite large. In it’s forth year, this haunted attraction, put on by the Ohio-based group Mid-America Events, is seeking approval from the Guinness Book of World Records to be the largest in square footage.

We were unimpressed with the first two levels; the spooks weren’t scary and it just felt like we were wandering in an old house with the lights off. But we realized they were just warming us up for the main event—the Haunted Hotel Conneaut—and what came after it.

Annie Rosenthal, Manager of the Haunted Hotel Conneaut, provided the real story: “The great thing about this house is that it’s the only house in the park that’s actually haunted. Elizabeth is the ghost of this house; she died in a fire when the hotel burnt down in the 1800s. She supposedly walks the halls and haunts people. Guests supposedly have seen apparitions.”

If that isn’t scary enough, they’ve added their own crew of monsters committed to scaring the bejesus out of you.

After we departed the hotel, each attraction was better and scarier than the one before. From wobbling through spinning canisters to shuffling along sandy floors, it felt like we were living a horror movie—but we got to exit the park with our heads still attached.

Your visit is not complete without a ride on the Ghoster Coaster, more commonly known as the Blue Streak. Plunging through the darkness on the park’s historic wooden rollercoaster amplifies this penultimate ride’s scare factor.

Although I saw folks carting around children as young as two, I wouldn’t bring anyone under 12. It’s no fun having to wait on the sidelines with an upset child when others are roaming through the houses without you.

As Ghost Lake’s reputation grows, people trek as far as Pittsburgh, despite its Crawford County haunt, to experience the Nine Levels of Terror. I may not have wandered to and through Ghost Lake alone, but with a group, it’s well worth the admission and gas money.

Read this modified post in my column of today’s print issue of GoCrawfordCounty.com.