Ohio’s Longest-lasting Halloween Excitement
Ready for a frighteningly good time? Halloween is one of the most exciting festivals on earth, so you don’t want to be cooped up in the house or trying to fit in as much fun as you possibly can on the night of October 31st. Instead, you can choose an affordable family camping trip and have all the fun outdoors. If you are in Ohio, pick any weekend from September 27th to the last weekend of October, pack your loved ones in your RV, and head just 40 miles north of Columbus to the village of Mount Gilead. Your stop? Jellystone Park™ Columbus North RV Park Campground, where we have lined up hauntingly fun Halloween activities for five whole weekends!
Have a magically good time at Halloween Hijinks at Jellystone Park™ Columbus North
Halloween’s roots stretch back over 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Celebrated on October 31st, Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. The Celts believed that on this night, the border between the worlds of the living and the dead blurred, allowing spirits to cross over.
To ward off these ghostly visitors, the Celts lit massive bonfires, wore costumes (consisting of animal heads and skins), and left offerings of food and drink outside their homes. They also paraded to the edge of their villages, hoping to lead the spirits away from their homes.
As Christianity spread, the holiday evolved. The church declared November 1st as All Saints’ Day, with the evening before known as All Hallows’ Eve – eventually shortened to Halloween. Today, while we may not fear spirits crossing over, we still embrace many of these ancient traditions in our modern celebrations. Celebrating Halloween outdoors, especially on a family camping getaway, reconnects us with the holiday’s nature-based origins.
Experience the best Halloween activities for endless fun
At Jellystone Park™ Columbus North, you can bring your family to the best celebration in the great outdoors, just like our ancestors did. But don’t worry, our spirits are more likely to offer you s’mores than scares!
Magical pumpkin patch
You plant Halloween seeds on Friday night and by Saturday morning… BAM! Pumpkins! Is it magic or science? Or is it just us sneaking around in the dark? One thing is certain: the look on your kids’ faces will be priceless!
Trick-or-treating
What’s Halloween without trick-or-treating? It’s a tradition morphed from ancient practices of exchanging food for prayers. Today, it’s all about the little ones and candy.
Costume contest
In old times, people dressed up to hide from ghosts. Now? At Jellystone Park™ Columbus North, we dress up to show off and win prizes! There’s a category for every ghoul and goblin.
Silent Disco Monster Bash
What happens when monsters want to party but don’t want to wake the neighbors? They throw a silent disco, of course! Grab a pair of headphones and dance like nobody’s watching (because they can’t hear your music anyway).
Haunted trail & haunted house
Are you brave enough to walk our Haunted Trail or enter our Haunted House? This will remind you of the Celts, who feared spirits wandering on Halloween night. Though not as scary, you can test your courage, enjoy the scares, and make long-lasting memories.
Site decorating contest
How would you keep the spirits at bay today? Like the ancient Celt, you’d decorate your RV site. Not only do you get the chance to out-spook your camping neighbor, but you can also win a free future stay, perfect for planning your next year’s even spookier setup.
Don’t miss out on this spooktacular celebration! Book your stay at Jellystone Park™ Columbus North for five weekends of Halloween Hijinks. Our Halloween Hullabaloo has something for every little ghost and goblin. See you there – if you dare!