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Humans beware: Monsters to gather on the square Oct. 27
monster mashup

All zombies, ghosts and witches beware

Of the creatures now headed for Scare on the Square.

Everyone is welcome who wishes to see

The grim, creepy crawlers that will flood the streets.

 

In addition to the surges of spooky old thrills,

A new tradition emerges that will give your spine chills.

Guaranteed to be a graveyard smash,

Join downtown Statesboro in the Monster Mash!

 

This year, Zaxby’s 12th annual Scare on the Square will be held on Oct. 27 in downtown Statesboro. Organized by the Downtown Statesboro Development Association (DSDA), the multipronged event will have a wide range of activities for all ages to enjoy. 

Starting at 4:30 p.m., the hayrides and train rides will carry guests on preplanned routes. In between rides, East Main Street will be the site for trunk or treating. 

“This is a friendly and fun way for kids to get some Halloween candy, while also allowing folks to promote their business and give back to the community,” said Dr. Brent Wolfe, professor of Recreational Therapy at Georgia Southern College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. 

Along with the aforementioned festivities, the pumpkin patch will also be set up on the courthouse lawn with games and activities for kids. To get more into the spirit of Halloween, a costume contest will be held for ages 0-18. For those who wish to participate, check in starts at 4, and the contest follows at 5. 

After the costume contest, teens and adults can head over to the haunted house on Hill Street for an eerie walk through one of the Boro’s spookiest spaces. The haunted house will be open until 11:30 p.m. Once you’ve worked up an appetite from running out of the haunted house in fear, some of Statesboro’s favorite food vendors will be available for a snack or dinner. 

While all of these activities are sure to be fun, the best thing about Scare on the Square is arguably the flash mob that is always planned.  Every Halloween for the past decade, the streets of downtown Statesboro transform into a dance floor for zombies to do the “Thriller” dance.  This year, however, things are going to be a bit different. 

Anastasia Brown, head of choreography for the event, told Discovering Bulloch that her vision is to add a bigger genre of scary to the setup.

“It’s going to have a mix of monsters and zombies.  We are really trying to move away from just doing ‘Thriller’ so we can make room for stuff that is a little more fun and relatable to all ages,” she said.

So, instead of just one song, this year will have a mix up of “Monster Mash,” “Werewolf In London,” other popular 2019 songs, and a little “Thriller” thrown in.  While that dance set may seem a little overwhelming at first, volunteers will be offering practices at Cotton Rose School of Dance on Mondays and Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m., and on Thursdays from 4:30-6 p.m.  

For more information on how you can participate in the Scare on the Square activities, visit statesborodowntown.com, or follow them on Facebook: facebook/downtownstatesboroscareonthesquare.