By: Aiyana Moore ~Staff Writer~

With Halloween a couple of weeks away, costumes have begun to fly off the shelves as people desperately plan how to spend the spookiest night of the year. Cincinnati’s wide variety of programs during the Halloween season offer something for everyone, from costume contests to haunted houses and even pumpkin picking. Luckily for Halloween lovers, Cincinnati is home to several of the scariest haunted houses in Ohio. The Dent Schoolhouse on Harrison Ave. offers tours of the haunted building with an emphasis on the local legend about the schoolhouse’s grisly past. Check out Dent Thursdays and Sundays from 7:30 to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 p.m. to midnight.

The USS Nightmare provides a unique experience as a haunted ship that was formally active. Now, however, the ship stays docked in Newport for the souls brave enough to face the USS Nightmare’s demons on Wednesdays through Sundays in October. For those looking for a haunted experience without the scare factor of a haunted house, the Ghosts of Cincinnati bus tour explores locations like the Taft Museum, Eden Park and Music Hall to find evidence of real paranormal activity.

The tour even provides passengers with ghost hunting equipment. The bus runs at 7 p.m. on Thursdays in October. Fall on the Farm at Blooms and Berries Farm Market offers an exciting fall festival for those who love Halloween but aren’t sure how they feel about ghosts and goblins. Fall on the Farm is the perfect atmosphere for pumpkin picking, hay rides, corn mazes and caramel apples.

Blooms and Berries is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday until 6 p.m. Dog lovers can rejoice for the Covington Dog Costume Pawrade set for Oct. 25. With all kinds of pooches in Halloween costumes and doggie-themed activities, it is sure to be a great time for everyone in attendance. For those less interested in dressed-up dogs and more interested in their own costumes, Fountain Square is hosting its annual costume contest on Oct. 30. With a costume contest comes the chance to win amazing prizes and have fun doing it. Halloween is Oct. 31, so make sure to get out and experience everything that Cincinnati has to offer for the Halloween season.