New Halloween light displays are ghoulishly fun

by Kathy Witt

A haunted village worthy of Boris Karloff, or perhaps his not-so-evil twin brother, will sit in the eerie glow of Lake Lanier during the new Haunted Nights of Lights event. Held at Georgia’s Lake Lanier Islands Resort, the spectacle will include all the thrills and chills kids big and small love for a properly spooked up Halloween outing – not to mention the largest animated Halloween display in the Southeast with four miles of ghostly illuminations: leering pumpkins, flying bats, witches on broomsticks and more.

Lighting up the skies nightly from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. through October, the family-friendly event evolved from the resort’s annual Magical Nights of Lights program – this year running November 20 to December 30 – with a delightfully ghoulish twist. But fear not, this is Halloween fun that every member of the family can enjoy.

Lake Lanier Islands Resorts sits at the front door of the North Georgia Mountains, less than an hour’s drive north of Atlanta. Spread along the shores of Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia’s most visited lakeside resort destination, it encompasses villas, lake houses and camping sites, casual grills and waterside dining, beautiful North Georgia mountain scenery and a full-service spa where the lavender salt scrubs give tranquil passage to nirvana, among other amenities, plus year-round events like wine tastings, cruises, concerts, boat shows, seafood buffets and more.

Drive to the Haunted Village

The Haunted Nights of Lights driving tour creeps from one haunted display to another, ending at a Haunted Village: Take a spin on carnival rides; lay your dollars down for carnival-style games; try and keep your balance in the Fun House; and find your way out of the Haunted Maze. Pint-size goblins can saddle up for pony rides and everyone will want to queue up for the melted, sticky treats at the marshmallow roast. Shop for suitably haunted goodies and trinkets, including t-shirts; search for the perfect farm-grown pumpkins; and slurp down some apple cider.

All the ghoulish good times are set against the backdrop of Georgia’s “Great Lake,” with the burnished hues of autumn reflected in its clear surface as the trees come into their colors. The resort has walking trails for crunching leaves beneath your feet, a golf club for playing 18 holes on a course that outlines Lake Lanier’s shoreline and an Equestrian Center for riding off into the sunset. And speaking of . . . you can dine beneath the stars and at water’s edge at Sunset Cove Cafe & Beach Club, sampling dockside favorites like calamari, grouper sandwiches and classic steak burgers, along with kids’ favorites and plenty of desserts and signature cocktails.

More seasonal spooks

Tuck in for a long weekend at Lake Lanier and take in more chills at Fifth Row Center, a community theatre in Flowery Branch known for its quality productions. The theatre presents Agatha Christie’s masterful murder mystery, “The Mousetrap,” on select dates in October. Or take one of the theatre’s “Ghostly Little Strolls,” a one-mile, kid-friendly walking tour of Historic Flowery Branch. Held weekend nights through November, the tour will unearth the secrets of this sleepy little town.

At Elachee-Nature Science Center, located within the 1,500-acre Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve in Gainesville, see slithery reptiles and amphibians in the live animal room at the museum and get a handful of various items picked right from the natural landscape at the touch tables. If you’re in town on Sat., Oct. 30, you can attend Elachee’s new Family Fall Festival. Held from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., the fun includes a live animal program, nature hikes, games, crafts and face painting while costumed animal characters stroll about the grounds.

Test your geography skills at the “Walk Across America” corn maze adventure at Jaemor Farm Market, the largest farm of its kind in Georgia and located about 20 minutes from Lake Lanier. It’s a whopping eight-acre warren in the shape of the map of the USA and watched over by the pensive countenance of Lady Liberty. Open weekends through November 7, the maze extends its hours until 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday for suitably spine-chilling “Flashlight Nights.” Other farm fun includes a kiddie maze, hayrides, an Apple Slingshot and pick-your-own pumpkins. You can also pick up some made-in-Georgia delectables, including jams, jellies, preserves, conserves, syrups, salsas, chow chow, chutney and more.

Haunted nights, spooky lights, Georgia-grown delights and delicious frights – it’s a creeping good time at Lake Lanier this October.

If You Go

Lake Lanier Islands Resorts is located about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta on I-85 North. Drive time is about 45 minutes.

Lake Lanier Islands Resort’s new Haunted Nights of Lights runs nightly, 7-11 p.m., Oct. 1-31. Admission: $20/car Mon.-Thurs.; $25/car Fri.-Sun.; $40/van (up to 15-passenger capacity). Additional charges for Haunted Village activities. See website for all-inclusive packages. http://www.lakelanierislands.com

Accommodations: Overnight at Lake Lanier Islands Resorts’ Legacy Lodge or spend the weekend at the Legacy Villas or Lakehouses at Legacy (www.lakelanierislands.com). In nearby Flowery Branch, stay at the hotel voted #1 in the state of Georgia: The Hampton Inn & Suites (http://hamptoninn.hilton.com). The Comfort Inn and Suites in Buford (www.comfortinn.com/hotel-buford-georgia-GA581), ranked in the top 10 percent of Comfort hotels nationally staff service and cleanliness, is just a few minutes from the entrance to Lake Lanier Islands Resorts.

Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville; 770-535-1976, www.elachee.org. Museum Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $5/adults; $3/children ages 2-12.

Fifth Row Center, 678-357-7359, www.fifthrowcenter.com. “The Mousetrap,” October 22-24, 29-30. In December, the theatre presents “It’s a Wonderful Life: Radio Show.” Contact Fifth Row Center for tickets. Guided “Ghostly Little Strolls” (tours of Historic Flowery Branch) are held weekend nights through November. $10/adults, $8/children and senior citizens (6 person minimum required).

Jaemor Farms’ “Walk Across America” adventure, 770-869-3999, www.jamsjellies.com. Maze season runs weekends through Nov. 7, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri. and Sat. and 1-6 p.m. Sun. Admission: $10/ages 8+; $9/ages 4-7; free/ages 3 and under.

Information: Lake Lanier Islands Convention & Visitors Bureau, www.lakelaniercvb.com.