Every town and city in Upstate New York will hold a special Halloween event.  In fact, many from downstate New York and New York city often travel up to take part in many of these festive fall events. These include parades, scary movies, costume parties, dances, hayrides and spooky walking tours just to name a few.

Here is a list of a dozen that we feel deserve a second look.  Among those on the list you will find a haunted stroll through one of Upstate's (and America's) most beautiful and famous gardens.  How about a spooky train ride through Western New York?  Or a fun Halloween bike ride in the Saratoga area?  Or (my personal favorite) spending a night with "Edgar Allan Poe" reading his scariest and most spine-chilling stories?  Yes, I am all over that!

And everybody is in on the action.  Check out the frightful Halloween event they are hosting at the site of the original Woodstock 1969 rock concert.  Some describe it as pumpkin art. Neat-o.

Each of the entries on this list has a direct link to the event.  Some are free and open to all, others are ticketed and require a reservation due to the amount of interest in these popular events.  Some are starting soon so don't delay, while others run all the way through Halloween.

These are all great places for everyone to get "their scare on" this season.

And remember, with hundreds of like events everywhere, please feel free to give a shout-out to your town's Halloween event over on our Facebook page!

12 Halloween Events in Upstate New York That Are Spooktacular!

Here are a dozen Halloween events across Upstate New York that are not to be missed. From haunted hayrides to paranormal walking tours, and to a night with Edgar Allan Poe, these are all spooktacular!

From Lumberjacks to Thunder Chickens -- Upstate New York Loves Their School Mascots

This is a list of Upstate New York's favorite, colorful, and somewhat wacky school mascots. No matter how weird they get, the schools love them and they adore their mascots and school logos.

What is a thunder chicken? And why did a small rural school pick witches as their team mascot? And what on earth is a "sawyer?"

Take a look at these mascots. Some of them will leave you scratching your head!