Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Bound for Glory

Perhaps no other Vermont town takes Halloween as seriously as White River Junction — as in making it an occasion for some serious fun. The community’s annual Gory Daze Parade has, its website boasts, been hand-picked as one of the top 10 small-town Halloween parades in the country. The organizers of the Rio Blanco Social Club, now in its eighth year, have planned fantastical festivities up the wazoo. This year’s highlights include an Egg Haunt at Veterans Memorial Park, where families search for enchanted orbs and tiny jack-o’-lanterns filled with candy, and a Psychic Fair with “aura photographers” reading destinies. Signature activities range from a monster petting zoo to music by Pariah Beat to donuts on strings. After the gruesome parade, folks in wacky costumes let off steam at an Eight Ball Dance Party, complete with DJ’d ditties and a light show. Join in, if you dare.