Halloween has a way of sneaking up on you, doesn't it? It's almost scary how quickly autumn has flown by. Trees have shed their colorful leaves, and we're left bare, skeletal remains of seasons gone by. Where flower pots stood on the porch seemingly five seconds ago, pumpkins now perch, awaiting Batman, Cinderella, Buzz Lightyear and friends to show up looking for candy. Yes, it's spooky how quickly time flies.

When I was younger, Halloween never elicited the same excitement in me as it did in other children. While my friends would beg their mothers to take them to the store to find the perfect princess costume, I was content to go pick out a pumpkin and call it a day. For some odd reason, the thought of caking on face paint, pinning a rainbow wig to my mess of curls, and roaming the streets in shoes six sizes too big for my feet was never that appealing to me. Is it obvious that I clearly, painfully even, remember that clown costume?

Of course, I know I'm weird. Most people go "all-out" for Halloween! This year, the house across the street from me has enormous black spiders latched on to its siding. And I've been witness to the most heinous of Halloween gag items: a bloody foot dangling out of my neighbor's car trunk – which she festively put out at the end of September. But I realize so many people are more inclined to take the "scary" route than I ever would be. Which is, perhaps, why all those famous haunted houses are so popular around this time of year!?

I knew I'd be writing a Halloween blog this week and decided I must experience something terrifying! Well, I needed to look no further than Haunted Empire at Bradley Farms in Elmira. I took my fiancé for moral support, and we rode the "less intense" Trail of Terror through the haunted woods, since I chickened out of walking through the haunted house. Several zombies, multiple chain saws, and one persistent werewolf later, I knew I'd made the right decision.

"We don't go over the top with graphics and gore," said Dan Hurley, manager of Bradley Farms. In the 20 years that Bradley Farms has been running the haunted house and quasi-hayride, Hurley has discovered that "sometimes the simplest scares are the most effective." Hurley estimates that over the 5-weeks of the event each year, nearly 10,000 people take part in the haunting festivities at Bradley Farms.

But if Bradley Farms just isn't enough to sate a blood-thirsty appetite for fear, make sure to check out Tagsylvania at Tag's in Big Flats. This weekend, you can journey into Lecter's Lair, where "unspeakable terrors await you at every turn. Your heart will pound and you WILL scream." If you still want more, swing on over to Psycho Swamp and see if the fog will swallow you up or spit you back out alive. Or, if you're feeling devilish, take aim at zombies and killer clowns in the black light interactive paintball experience known as "Zig-Zag Zombies." Now that sounds like my kind of activity – and I'm not kidding! After spending hours surviving the zombie apocalypse playing the video game Left 4 Dead, it'd be nice to test out my acquired skills in real life!

Or if you're just looking for a venue to wear a cool costume and celebrate with some friends, Corning & the Finger Lakes is exactly where you can do it! On Friday, the Sit-N-Bull Pub in Painted Post will have contests galore! Whether you're good at howling, witch cackling, or just playing dress-up, you'll have the chance to win cash and prizes, all while listening to DJ Jason bring his Spooktacular show alive from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. You could also visit Switzerland Inn on Keuka Lake for a Halloween party complete with drink specials, free midnight buffet, music, and costume prizes.

On Saturday night, be sure to visit Holmes Plate on Market Street in Corning, where the multi-category costume contest will award $750 in cash prizes when all is said and done. Compete for scariest, most creative, and more!

Perhaps you're looking for candy-collecting adventures for your kids? On Thursday, Hornell merchants will have trick-or-treating from 5 – 7 p.m., followed by a parade. Want to be part of a procession through a store? Be sure get in line 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday at Wegmans is Corning. There will be candy and games, as well!
And on Halloween Monday, go trick-or-treating in Corning's Gaffer District from 4 – 6 p.m., at the Benjamin Patterson Inn Museum from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., or in the Village of Bath from 6 – 8 p.m.

No matter if you're looking for a breath-stealing, heart-pounding scare, or a fun-filled family adventure, you can find it this weekend in Corning & the Finger Lakes. If you want to jump... if you want to scream... or if you're like me and want to pretend you're brave, but end up cowering in the arms of a loved one, you'll certainly have plenty of opportunities for it on this spookiest of all weekends. Happy Halloween!