Happy October. Here are 23 Fall-ish and Halloween Events to Satisfy Your Inner Witch or Warlock

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Here Come the Mummies

Some stuff to do when you’re bored or want to freak yourself out. As always, check the weekly issue of CityBeat for more suggested things to do. Check here for a list of local haunted houses and here for a list of on-farm festivals and pick-your-own-pumpkin destinations.

1. Haunted Brewery Tour — Take this haunted brewery tour through Christian Moerlein’s OTR taproom. Hear five haunted tales and use clues to figure out which story is made up and isn’t based on history. The production is a collaboration between Christian Moerlein, the Brewing Heritage Trail, Cincinnati Escape Room and Cincinnati Landmark Productions. 7 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in October. $25. Christian Moerlein Brewing Co., 1621 Moore St., Over-the-Rhine, hauntedbrewerytour.com.
2. HallZOOween — Tricks and treats aren’t just for humans — zoo residents get in on the fun with special pumpkin enrichment activities every weekend in October. Kids can trick-or-treat at stations scattered throughout the grounds, catch a show from Phil Dalton’s Theater of Illusion and even hop on the Hogwarts Express. Costumes are encouraged, as is bringing along your own treat bag to help the zoo go green. Noon- 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 28. Free with zoo admission: $19 adults; $13 kids. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale, cincinnatizoo.org.
3. Fright Night: E.T. — Get in the spooky spirit with everyone’s favorite peanut-butter-cup-eating extra-terrestrial. This screening of Steven Spielberg classic E.T. is free. Bring a lawnchair or blanket, pack a picnic basket and grab some adult beverages from the Washington Park bar. 8-10 p.m. Oct. 10. Free admission. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, washingtonpark.org.
4. 1984 at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company — George Orwell’s classic political thriller has resurfaced into modern pop culture as of late because, er, many are drawing parallels to current-day issues and 1984’s horrific dystopian future. Big brother is watching.  Rediscover this classic via a play, where protagonist Winston Smith stumbles upon a resistance movement against a bleak surveillance government. Spooky, indeed. Oct. 12-Nov. 3. $57 adults; $53 seniors; $31 students. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 1195 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincyshakes.com.
5. Haunted Hall at Music Hall — Get spooky with Cincinnati Pops as they perform selections from Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain and Saint Saens’ Danse Macabre. Apparently, Music Hall is haunted — maybe they’ll lure Casper out? Oct. 12-14. $25-$101. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatiarts.org. 
6. Second Annual Wizard Pub Crawl — Whether you’re a muggle, wizard or Ron Weasley, break out your wand and get ready to drink your way through downtown and OTR. Tickets include a wand and wand box, Hogwart’s house certificate, a costume competition, house-colored wristband for sorting, special photo ops, themed drinks and potions at each location and more. Crawl includes stops at 16-Bit, MOTR, HalfCut, The Rook, Japp’s and more. 2-10 p.m. Oct. 13. $25; $40 VIP (includes T-shirt). 16-Bit Bar+Arcade, 1331 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/16BitBar.
7. Here Come the Mummies — This eight-piece Funk band of bandaged, ancient mummies heads to Bogart’s. 7 p.m. Oct. 13. $25. Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St., Corryville, bogarts.com.
8. Bengals vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers — The Bengals take on the Steelers at home in Week 6. WILL WE WIN? SUSPENSE IS SCARY! 1 p.m. Oct. 14. $66-$185. Paul Brown Stadium, 1 Paul Brown Stadium, Downtown, bengals.com.
9. Fright Night: Ghost Busters — If you aren’t afraid of no ghosts, check out this free screening of Ghost Busters at Washington Park. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, pack a picnic basket and grab some adult beverages from the Washington Park bar. 8-10 p.m. Oct. 17. Free admission. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, washingtonpark.org.
10. Wizard Fest — The wizarding world comes to Corryville for a night of magic, music and cosplay. Wizard Fest, a touring Harry Potter-themed club party, features trivia, special drinks, magicians, a costume contest, Quidditch Pong, dancing and DJs. For ages 18 and up. 8-11 p.m. Oct. 17. $15-$35. Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St., Corryville, bogarts.com. 
11. Murder on the Menu — Spring, 1879:  A gunshot rings out near Washington Platform; the body of a young businessman is soon found dead in the alley across from City Hall. It’s Cincinnati’s oldest unsolved murder case, and the night begins with a walking tour of the crime, followed by a four-course dinner, during which the rest of the story unfolds. Dishes are what was common in Cincinnati circa the late 1800s and are paired with local craft beer. 6-9 p.m. Oct. 18. $48. Washington Platform, 1000 Elm St., Downtown, queencityhistory.com.
12. The Man-Beast at Know Theatre — As part of Know Theatre’s “Fear Itself”-themed 2018/19 theater season, catch this tale of classic intrigue (and werewolf madness) written by Joseph Zettelmaier and set in the gothic French countryside circa the 18th century. The “Beast of Gévaudan” wreaks havoc, claiming more than 100 victims in three years’ time. King Louis has offered a reward for anyone who can kill the beast. Oct. 19-Nov. 10. $25-$35. Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine, knowtheatre.com.
13. Zombie Ball: Dance of the UnDead on Pyramid Hill — Don your best zombie, vampire or otherwise-undead getup for this annual event. Imbibe beer and wine — including spooky cocktails — and fill up on a horror-themed buffet before embarking on a haunted hayride or heading inside a zombie photo booth. For a few extra bucks, get the VIP treatment: You’ll arrive at the party in an actual hearse and strut down a blood-red carpet. 7-11 p.m. Oct. 20. $30 individual; $50 couple; packages available. Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum, 1763 Hamilton Cleves Road, pyramidhill.org.
14. Autumn Color Walking Tour — Pretty tame and not scary. Take in the colors of changing fall foliage on this walking tour through Spring Grove. The cemetery and arboretum’s horticulture staff will highlight the best views. 1-3 p.m. Oct. 21. Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village, springgrove.org.
15. Two Spirited Women: An Evening with Cole Imperi and Molly Wellmann — Mixologist Molly Wellmann and thanotologist Cole Imperi join forces for a thematic evening of spirits and spirits. Discover what death, dying and drinking can teach us about human happiness. 6-9 p.m. Oct. 24. $10 members; $20 non-members. The Mercantile Library, 414 Walnut St., Downtown, mercantilelibrary.com.
16. Fright Night: Nightmare Before Christmas — Jack Skellington learns the meaning of Christmas this Halloween in Tim Burton’s stop-motion musical. Bring a blanket, lawn chair and picnic basket and buy some adult beverages from the park’s concession stand. 8 p.m. Oct. 24. Free admission. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, washingtonpark.org.
17. Mystery Science Theater 3000 — MST3K is touring live for its 30th anniversary. See original host and creator Joel Hodgson with new host Jonah Ray. The bots and the boys will be bringing new movies and new riffs to stages across the U.S. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24. $39.50-$49.50. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown, tafttheatre.org.
18. Official Halloween Bar Crawl — Get extra spooky this season. Put on your coolest, cutest, scariest or sexiest costume and hop from bar to bar in Over-the-Rhine and The Banks. Attendees will get some treats to take home and discounts on drink and food specials. Do the “Monster Mash” all night long. 2 -9 p.m. Oct. 27. $20-$40, check-in starts at Nicholson’s, 625 Walnut, Downtown, elite-barcrawls.com.
19. Spooky Brunch at The National Exemplar — This family-friendly brunch features adult and kid costume contests, trick-or-treating and a Halloween-themed brunch buffet. RSVP to 513-271-2103. 9:30 or 11:30 a.m. Oct. 27-28. $15 child; $20 adult. The National Exemplar, 6880 Wooster Pike, Mariemont, nationalexemplar.com. 
20. Autumn Donuts Workshop — Tablespoon Cooking Co. leads this class on making fall-flavored donuts from scratch, including pumpkin spice and apple cider flavors. Sip on craft beer and wine while you get hands-on experience and recipes to make more donuts at home. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 27. $75. Findlay Kitchen, 1719 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, findlaykitchen.org.
21. Nightmare on Madison Street Halloween Bash — Head to Hotel Covington for this spooky Halloween party. Wear your scariest or cutest costume to compete in a singles and couples contest with music from DJ Drewski. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Oct. 27. $15; $25 door. Hotel Covington, 638 Madison Ave., Covington, hotelcovington.com.
22. Hallowqueen Drag Brunch — Ring in Halloween with this pop-up drag brunch at Metropole, complete with glitter, fangs and heels galore. Sip specialty themed cocktails and dig into a family-style brunch prepared by chef Jared Bennett. Costumes are encouraged — “You better werk, witch.” 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 28. $35. Metropole, 609 Walnut St., Downtown, metropoleonwalnut.com.
23. Wake the Dead Bash with the Spine-Tingling Mighty Wurlitzer — Spend Halloween at the haunted Music Hall as organist Trent Sims sets the stage with creepy music — “special effects abound” via the wiles of the Wurlitzer organ. Supernatural tours offered every half hour. Costumes encouraged. Come out on Hallow’s Eve (Oct. 30) for “Spooky Tunes” from Sims, too (10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.). 9 p.m. Oct. 31. $45. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatiarts.org.