Halloween activities ramping up in the Ottawa Valley

Halloween came early in the Ottawa Valley as hundreds of children and parents lined the streets of downtown Pembroke to trick or treat.

It was the town's annual Pumpkin Treats event Saturday, with over 40 local businesses handing out candy to families who were testing out costumes ahead of Halloween night.

"You got the kids dressed up, but then you also have the parents who have dressed up and I've even seen some dogs dressed up, so it's been a lot of fun," said Bethea Summers with the Pembroke BIA.

"This is actually really cool to see," added Caroline Royer, who took her daughter and a friend out trick or treating downtown.

"It's nice to see everybody coming out especially after the pandemic and stuff, everybody's been pretty isolated. So this is pretty cool to see.

Elsewhere in town getting ready for the big night, Allie Chaput was preparing the finishing touches for her Halloween house on Eganville Road.

"In total for our inflatables, we have, I think it's 67 or 68," she told CTV News.

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Along with her sister, Chaput has been going above and beyond to decorate their home for Halloween, spending more than $10,000 to bring the season to life.

"Soon as we start setting up, we get a few looky-loos, as we call them, and it starts from there, from September right through October."

Billing themselves as a fun version of Halloween, the sisters say they decorate to see the reactions of the kids on Halloween night.

The newest centrepiece of their display is a 25-foot inflatable Frankenstein's Monster.

"We add more pieces every year," says Chaput. "We try to find something different that no one else has and we add it to our collection."

Those looking for more of a scare in the Ottawa Valley can find it in Petawawa on Selkirk Street.

Now into its fourth year, the Haunting on Selkirk is a free-to-tour backyard maze. Filled with oversized clowns, the attraction aims to up the fear factor.

"If you're really jittery and you don't like being scared, don't come for haunt, come for kiddie hour," says Alisha Rinas, who puts on the Haunting on Selkirk with her family.

"Because during kiddie hour at least everything's toned down with no live actors and all animatronics off."

The Haunting on Selkirk opened in Rinas's backyard Friday and will run through Halloween. Kiddie hour takes place each day starting at noon. Those looking for a true scare can show up for haunting hour starting at 5pm.

The family uses their love of fright to support the local food bank and asks those who come by to bring a non-perishable food item for donation.

Last year's event drew roughly 3,000 people to the Petawawa home. Friday's first night saw more than 300 people come out.

Rinas says her family's love of Halloween comes naturally.

"We've always loved it. I just love the feel of it everything and how much joy can bring the people, and you know, scaring people is fun too."