Philly Thriller dance group performing on the streets of West Philly. Photo from Philly Thriller’s Facebook page.

You’ve probably heard about the Philly Thriller “zombies” group, which dances at various locations around West Philly on Halloween night. But it’s hard to catch up with them because they show up flash mob style, perform their routine and move on to the next location. So here’s the Philly Thriller performance schedule for tonight that their leader, Rashida Holmes, kindly shared with us:

“Weather permitting, we’ll be doing a dress rehearsal performance on The Rotunda Plaza (40th & Walnut) from 4-ish to 4:30-ish, then we’ll be “flashmobbing” a couple spots along Baltimore Ave around 5-ish then we will be stationed at the Haunted Gym at St. Francis de Sales (47th & Windsor) from 6-ish to 7-ish. If we are totally rained out, we’ll make our way to the gym earlier (5-ish or so) but that doesn’t seem likely.”

For more info about today’s activities in the neighborhood, including the Halloween Tot Parade and Haunted Gym, check out this page.

The leaves are falling and the weather has turned a bit. It’s already October and we’ll be posting information on upcoming Halloween events in the area. This post is dedicated to spooky and ghostly happenings the staff at the Woodlands Cemetery and Mansion (40th & Woodland) have prepared for local residents and visitors. This is the first year that The Woodlands is offering so many Halloween-themed events – and they’re collaborating on a lot of them with other local organizations and businesses. Are you ready to get frightened? Then read on. (By the way, stay tuned for future posts on our annual pumpkin carving contest.)

Spirits of The Woodlands: Haunted Cemetery Tours

This October, Curio Theatre Company and The Woodlands are teaming up to present Spirits of The Woodlands: Haunted Cemetery Tours. For three nights only (October 24, 25, and 26), you can experience The Woodlands as you’ve never seen it by taking a guided tour after dark to some of the final resting places of the Cemetery’s most notorious residents. You’ll hear torrid tales, spooky stories, and scary spirits abound this Halloween (and you’ll even be invited to join the hauntings in a mausoleum). There are six tours every night, starting at 8:00 p.m., and a limited number of tickets ($20/person) are available. To buy tickets, click here.

The Return of Edgar Allan Poe

The night of mystery and macabre is back by popular demand. Literary historian and playwright Rob Velella returns to bring the work of Edgar Allan Poe to life on Tuesday, Oct 15, from 6:30 until 9:00 p.m. Valella will demonstrate some of Poe’s most loved works. After the performance, you’ll have the unique opportunity for a nighttime cemetery walk to visit Poe’s contemporary, Timothy Shay Arthur, at his eternal resting spot. Also a writer, Arthur was a fellow member of the literary coterie Seven Stars. Tickets for this event ($15) are available here.

All Hallow’s Read

Little ones and grown-ups alike are invited to this fun event. Books about monsters, pumpkins, goblins and ghosts, fall books, harvest books, and other seasonal reads will be hidden throughout the cemetery in age-appropriate sections and the book will be on on Saturday, Oct 19, 1:00-3:00 p.m. To sweeten the deal, cold treats from Weckerly’s Ice Cream will be provided! (In case of rain, this event will be held on Sunday, Oct 20 from 1:00-3:00 p.m.)

Halloween 

Finally, bring your kids for some treats at the mansion on Halloween day (October 31) from noon-4 p.m. before the tot parade in Spruce Hill.

To learn more about The Woodlands and upcoming events at the historic cemetery and mansion, visit: http://woodlandsphila.org/.

So another Halloween has come and gone in West Philly. We have a photo slideshow and video below from the parade and we will be announcing the winners of our Pumpkin Carving Contest a little later today. We hope everyone had an awesome and safe Halloween.