Ghost Walk brings local legends to life
Downtown event blends history, folklore and Halloween fun
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LEWISTOWN -- As darkness settles over Downtown Lewistown on Saturday night, groups led by the glow of red lanterns will venture into the shadows to hear stories that have lingered in the Juniata Valley for generations.
The Second Annual Downtown Lewistown Ghost Walk returns Saturday as part of NuVisions Center’s Family Halloween Festival, offering participants an evening of local history, folklore and ghostly tales woven through the streets of downtown.
The event has surpassed its inaugural year. According to organizers, 41 people participated in the inaugural walk last year. This year, registration has grown to 74 participants and continues to climb.
Despite the name, visitors shouldn’t expect a haunted house experience.
“Some are legends, some historical, some are ghost stories,” said Katye Long, who is involved with both NuVisions Center in Lewistown and Stone Arch Players, of the stories. “They're not super scary.”
Instead, the walk combines community storytelling with local history, allowing participants to decide for themselves where fact ends and folklore begins.
The evening’s activities begin with the Family Halloween Festival from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 20 Depot St. Families can enjoy games, pumpkin painting, vendors and other seasonal activities before the ghost walk begins.
As daylight fades, groups will depart for the walk beginning at 6:30 p.m.
“Groups will be going out every 15 minutes, and 8 (p.m.) is the last group,” Long explained.
The approximately one-mile route takes visitors through Downtown Lewistown and requires about an hour to complete. Along the way, guides will lead visitors from story to story beneath the glow of red lanterns they will be sporting.
“Red lanterns lead the group,” said Long, of the guides who will be in various costumes either of the period or for Halloween.
Participants will encounter a variety of storytellers and characters stationed throughout the route. Some stories are told by costumed volunteers while others rely simply on the power of the tale itself.
Among the characters visitors might meet are a Civil War reenactor and even Dracula. Long said volunteers are encouraged to add their own personalities to the experience. “Guides do what they want to do.”
Storytellers are positioned throughout the downtown at locations connected to the stories they share.
“Depending on what the story is, they’re all at different spots along the route,” Long said. “Some in costume for period, some are just costumes, or even regular clothes.”
Historical figures also play a role in the evening. Guides and storytellers near Lewistown's Old Town Cemetery -- where Dorcas Buchanan is buried -- will be wearing period attire, helping bring pieces of the region’s past back to life. The walk is made possible through a collaboration between NuVisions Center, Stone Arch Players and numerous community volunteers who contribute their time as guides, storytellers and actors.
For organizers, the event is designed as much to celebrate local history as it is to celebrate Halloween.
That blend of mystery and history appears to be resonating with the community.
Both the Family Halloween Festival and Ghost Walk are free and open to the public. Registration is required for the walk, however, and organizers encourage interested participants to reserve a time slot in advance.
Registration is required for the ghost walk. To reserve your time slot, call (717) 248-1111.