Halloween Takes Over The Christmas City: Your Weekend

Like the plot of a well-loved Tim Burton movie, Bethlehem, the Christmas City, will be taken over by the denizens of Halloween Town for the next few days.

Trick or Treat, which will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, is only the start of the scary happenings in the city this weekend.

The Moravian Book Shop will get the heart racing with its Historic Haunts of Downtown Bethlehem tours, which depart every 15 minutes from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

There will also be special midnight tours on both those nights, which will allow you to learn about the ghost soldiers of Moravian College at the witching hour. Call the Moravian Book Shop for details and reservations: 610-866-5481.

If the ghosts of Main Street aren’t scary enough, take a cemetery tour with a certified costumed guide from the Historic Bethlehem Partnership on Saturday or Sunday at 4 p.m.

The tour meets and leaves from the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, 66 W. Church St. and proceeds to the city’s oldest building—the 1741 Gemeinhaus.

Think Obamacare is scary? Learn about the medical practices of the 18th Century Moravians. See a real period dead tray, hear the story of the Corpse House, visit the Old Chapel and learn about the death and funeral practices of the city’s first residents.

The tour ends in God’s Acre, the cemetery adjoining the Central Moravian Church. The tour costs $12, $6 for children 6-12.

The parade of ghosts, ghouls and goblins, better known as the Bethlehem Halloween Parade hits the streets at 2 p.m. Sunday. The parade route will take revelers from W. Broad Street at 10th Avenue east to Main Street and then south to the Hill-to-Hill Bridge.

The route just about passes the Bethlehem Boofest, a family-friendly event, which will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Bethlehem Rose Garden.

There will be pumpkin painting, scary ghost stories, trick or treating, games, pony rides, Halloween-themed crafts, an apple pie eating contest and a lot more.

If Halloween doesn’t get you excited, check your pulse, then check out what else is going on in Bethlehem this weekend:

• The Sands Bethlehem Event Center hosts a night of mixed martial arts cage fighting with the XFE, starting at 7:30 Friday. The fight card features the organization’s heavyweight title fight. Tickets are from $47 to $125.

• Legendary guitarist David Bromberg brings his considerable skills to the Musikfest Café, Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $49 and $39.

• Two Texas singer-songwriters, Raina Rose and Rebecca Loebe, perform at Godfrey Daniels at 8 p.m. Friday. Admission is $17.50.

• Mandudebro performs "It's not me, it's you,” an improvised comedy show about your ex at 11 p.m. Friday at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. It's long form improv comedy in the style of the Upright Citizens Brigade. If you've got a crazy, messed-up, bizarre or just plan awesome story about an ex-lover, they want to hear it—and then make up a hilarious show all about it. Tickets are $5.

• The Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts launches a new program aimed at small children—Dolly & Me—from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Children Pre-K to Grade 1 are invited to explore size and measurement by matching small and large objects in the Kemerer’s collection. Look through the rooms of the Kemerer's exquisite antique doll houses and find small paintings, glassware and furniture. Next, go on a scavenger hunt throughout the museum to find life size versions of these same decorative pieces. Admission to the program is free with Historic Bethlehem's Pass Into History admission ticket. (Adults $12, Children 6-13 $6, under 6 Free).

• Peacable Kingdom hosts a yard sale/vendor & craft fair starting at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Wesley Church, 2540 Center St. There will be more trick or treating from the kids until noon, a silent auction benefitting shelter animals, blessing of the animals at noon, live music and pets for adoption. Peacable Kingdom will also be accepting donations of animal food, cat litter, collars, leashes and other items for the shelter.

• A pair of young rock bands—Tin Bird Choir and Mason Portor—take the Godfrey Daniels stage at 8 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $17.50.

• Sammy Hagar, the former lead singer for Van Halen, brings his band the Wabos to the Sands Bethlehem Event Center at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $85 and $65.

• Singer-songwriter Michael Smith comes to Godfrey Daniels stage at 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $17.50.

• Dennis DeYoung brings the Music of Styx to the Musikfest Café at 8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets $64 and $49.