Get your spook on this year at the 20th annual Haunted Hike in Euclid St. Paul’s, St. Petersburg’s most paranormal historic neighborhood! This engaging experience is an all-night affair that features food vendors, musical performances, theatrical skits, and the famous mile-long Haunted Hike tour, starting at the ominous intersection of 13th Street N and 13th Avenue.
Spooktacular
On Saturday, Oct. 14, this highly anticipated family-friendly event brings in folks from around the block and even cities away to join in on the fun. “People have been reaching out earlier and earlier every year, and even with increasing our ticket availability, they have been selling out every time slot!” said Johnmark White of the Euclid St. Paul’s Neighborhood Association (ESPNA).
The hike itself is an hour-long guided tour through the neighborhood’s brick-laid streets that ventures out in incremental time slots every 15 minutes starting at 6:15 p.m. This year’s theme is “Aliens and AI,” and your evening is sure to be out of this world! Throughout the night you’ll see performances from the talented zombie horde Thrill St. Pete, local “pre-deceased” band Vic’s Coffin Drops, amazing professional “Star Wars” costumes from charity group 501st, as well as pop-up skits from more than 50 other volunteer hobbyists.
Likewise, if you’re simply strolling the sidewalk, be sure to check out the ghostly bake sale, live face painters, mystical fortune teller, original on-site printed T-shirts, and sustainably made Halloween-themed jewelry from St. Pete’s own REJuled. As Lindsay Carter from the ESPNA said best, “Euclid St. Paul’s is St. Pete’s little-known gem of a neighborhood, and we are proud to share it with the community.”
Doing Scary Good
The Haunted Hike is an impactful opportunity for the Euclid St. Paul’s community as a whole, as accepting event sponsors such as Jenny Roche with ReMax Realty has helped them raise the bar and draw in more attendees. The ESPANA thus has more money in order to give back to local charities as well as continue funding other neighborhood ventures for the remainder of the year. Helen Memoli, ESPNA president said: “We stay involved with local charities and provide fun experiences in order to help these organizations raise funds and gain more exposure within the community.
“The Haunted Hike has evolved over the years into more than a block party and has served as an opportunity to fund events that go back to the community throughout the year, such as the Back to School Bash where we donated over 200 much-needed school supplies to Woodlawn Elementary; a $500 donation to Kind Mouse food charity; a $150 donation including toys to the Christmas Toy Shop; raising $1,250 with a corporate match to send 20 local kids to American Stage Theatre summer camp in dedication to the passing of Violet Supak; and having the means to host a Family Movie Night that raised $500 for Tampa Bay Watch.”
How to Get Involved
It takes a village to put on this production every year, and the ESPNA would love to bring in further community involvement to support the cause. The largest need is for in-person volunteers to assist with the bake sale, participate as actors or hike guides, and help with the setting up as well as the take-down. Local high schoolers can earn community-service hours when they come out to volunteer their time! The neighborhood is always looking for additional involvement and encourages membership to help sustain everything that Euclid St. Paul’s provides to its families and the surrounding community.
To volunteer for the Haunted Hike, please send an email to [email protected]. To purchase Haunted Hike tickets, stay in touch regarding Euclid St. Paul’s events throughout the year. To get details on how to become involved and join the neighborhood association, head over to ESPNA.org.
