Ghoul Guide Brings Five Nights of Scares to Newark’s Erie Canal Trail

“Vampires: An Erie Affair” takes over the canal trail October 16, 17, 23, 24 and 30, with a separate free Pumpkin Walk joining the Halloween fun on October 30

NEWARK, NY — Ghoul Guide’s Scare Walk returns this October with five nights of scares along the Erie Canal trail off Edgett Street in Newark.

The Scare Walk will be held October 16, 17, 23, 24 and 30 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. each night. This year’s theme, “Vampires: An Erie Affair,” will feature live actors, scares and special effects along the canal trail. Admission is $10 per person, and the experience is recommended for ages 10 and older.

October 30 will include two separate experiences. The regular $10 Scare Walk will take place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., while a free Pumpkin Walk will also run from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The two experiences will head in opposite directions along the canal trail. The Scare Walk will include actors and scares, while the Pumpkin Walk will feature decorated pumpkins with no actors and no scares.

At a Glance

Location: Erie Canal trail off Edgett Street in Newark
Parking: Cannery Row Mall
Scare Walk: Recommended for ages 10+
Pumpkin Walk: No actors or scares
Vendors: Available without purchasing a Scare Walk ticket

From Four Friends to a Growing Halloween Event

Ghoul Guide began with four Newark friends — McKinley Miller, Ashton Keene, Deborah Szarek and Anisha Stallworth — looking for a way to combine their backgrounds in theater, film and acting with something they could create in their hometown.

“We were all raised in Newark and felt a lack of events for young people that featured opportunities for artists like ourselves,” Anisha explained.

For McKinley, part of the inspiration came after graduating in 2024 with a film degree and wanting to try scare acting. After applying to a few events and not hearing back, he decided there was another option: create one herself. She reached out to friends she had worked with in theater and film, and Ghoul Guide began.

The first year came together quickly. The second became a more elaborate alien-invasion-themed experience. After holding the first two events at McKinley’s home, the group decided to expand again for 2026, moving the event closer to the heart of Newark and adding local vendors and other community connections.

This year's theme is vampires, and organizers describe “Vampires: An Erie Affair” as an immersive horror experience combining a story with live performances, costumes and effects.

Their advice for anyone planning to attend?

Bring your garlic.

What to Expect on the Scare Walk

This is intended to be a scary experience.

Visitors can expect live actors, jump scares, loud or sudden noises, flashing or strobe lights, fog or smoke effects, music and dark areas. Actors may approach or follow participants during the walk, but actors will not touch guests.

The Scare Walk will remain entirely on the established canal trail, with actors and decorations lining the route. The experience is out-and-back, meaning visitors will travel down the trail, turn around and return toward the vendor and entrance area. Organizers estimate the experience will take about seven minutes to complete.

Admission is $10 per person. Profits from the Scare Walk go back to the actors and organizers who create the experience, while the addition of vendors this year provides another opportunity for local artists and businesses to participate.

Parents: Is the Scare Walk Appropriate for My Child?

Ghoul Guide recommends the Scare Walk for ages 10 and older, but organizers recognize that children handle scary experiences differently.

Their guidance to parents is to consider how their own child responds to horror, darkness, loud noises and being startled. Most importantly, if a child doesn't want to participate, organizers ask that they not be forced to go through the experience. Their goal is a fun scare, not an experience a child isn't ready for.

There is also a way out if someone decides the experience is too much after starting.

Because the route is out-and-back, participants can turn around and return to the entrance. Anyone who is concerned beforehand that they may need to stop can also tell Ghoul Guide staff when purchasing a ticket. Organizers can provide a code word that lets the actors know to stop the scares so the guest can return to the beginning.

Accessibility and Sensory Information

The entire Scare Walk will remain on the established Erie Canal trail. Strollers, wagons, wheelchairs, walkers and mobility scooters are welcome. Organizers note, however, that portions of the trail and bridge can be uneven. The trail width remains fairly consistent, and participants will not be required to leave the trail as part of the experience.

The route will have lighting to help visitors navigate, although darkness is part of the haunted experience. Visitors may bring a flashlight if they would be more comfortable having one.

Those with sensory sensitivities should be prepared for loud and sudden noises, flashing or strobe lights, fog effects, dark areas and actors who may approach or follow participants. The event takes place outdoors on the canal trail, and actors will not touch participants.

October 30: Two Experiences, Two Directions

October 30 will look a little different from the other Ghoul Guide nights because visitors will have two Halloween experiences happening at the same time.

The Scare Walk will continue from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. with the full “Vampires: An Erie Affair” experience. Admission remains $10 per person.

Heading in the opposite direction along the canal trail, visitors will find the Pumpkin Walk, also taking place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The Pumpkin Walk is free and will not include scare actors or scares.

Ghoul Guide is working with the Wayne County Arts Council/Art Gallery on the pumpkin portion of the event. Organizers said the idea was inspired by memories of the Pumpkin Walk once held at Perkins Park and a desire to bring that tradition back to Newark. Painted pumpkins will be displayed along the canal trail for the community to enjoy.

Visitors on October 30 can choose the Scare Walk, the Pumpkin Walk or experience both.

Local Vendors Join the Event

Vendors will be set up near the event in the wider area used for canal trail parking. The vendor lineup will change on different event nights, so visitors may find something different depending on when they attend.

You do not need to purchase a ticket to the Scare Walk to visit the vendors.

Know Before You Go

Scare Walk dates: October 16, 17, 23, 24 & 30
Scare Walk time: 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Scare Walk Admission: $10 per person
Recommended age: 10+
Pumpkin Walk: October 30 only, 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Pumpkin Walk admission: FREE
Location: Erie Canal trail off Edgett Street, Newark
Parking: Cannery Row Mall
Estimated Scare Walk: About seven minutes
Tickets: Purchase upon arrival at the clearly marked Ghoul Guide check-in table
Vendors: Open to everyone; no Scare Walk ticket required

Visitors parking at Cannery Row Mall should cross the Edgett Street bridge and head toward the canal trail entrance. Organizers specifically ask attendees not to park in the trail parking lot (Newark Canal Park).

One other timing detail is important: 9:00 p.m. is when the event ends, not the final entry time. Visitors planning to do the Scare Walk should arrive early enough to check in and complete the experience before 9:00 p.m.

Creating Something Local

Ghoul Guide started with four friends who wanted an opportunity to use their creative backgrounds and bring another Halloween experience to their hometown. Three years later, they're taking that idea onto the Erie Canal trail, involving more local actors, welcoming vendors and adding a Pumpkin Walk inspired by a Newark tradition they remember from growing up.

For the Ghoul Guide team, the goal is still fairly simple: create something fun and Halloween-themed that people can experience without leaving Newark, while giving local artists, actors and businesses another place to participate. Pasted markdown

This October, that means five nights of vampires along the Erie Canal — and, on October 30, pumpkins heading in the other direction.

If you're choosing the vampires, don't forget the garlic.