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From ramshackle ghost towns and creaky haunted hotels to desolate desert scenes and skies aflame with foreboding, the Grand Canyon State is suffused with spooky spectacles. For this year’s Eerie Arizona theme, amateur and semi-professional photographers submitted their most artfully unsettling images. The 12 finalists will take you on a magical mystery tour of Southwest oddities.

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Excitement and suspense permeate the Valley as Halloween draws closer. Get in the spirit with festive local events, from spooky laser tag to a dog costume contest. Octane Raceway Velocity VR Scream Fest Looking for a way to immerse yourself in the horror of Halloween? Fight for your life against virtual reality zombies at Octane Raceway’s Velocity VR Scream Fest. A variety of games are available, including Zombie Survival, Far Cry, Undead Arena and more....

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Snap a Selfie with a Spider Get tangled up in a web of creepy crawlers at Oh, Snap… A Spider. The art installations are on display through Oct. 31 near AMC Theatres at Desert Ridge Marketplace, 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix, shopdesertridge.com; and outside Harkins Theatres at Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Pkwy., Tempe, tempemarketplace.com.  Cruise the Boo Bash Pile in the car for a spirited Drive-Through Boo Bash at Park West. Musical entertainment...

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Even if you love a good zombie apocalypse movie that starts with a viral outbreak, nobody really wants to catch a virus. Thankfully, the folks behind the annual Phoenix FearCon will ensure we can all be scared s**tless – safely – this Halloween season, as the 9th Annual Phoenix FearCon and Film Festival will be entirely virtual this year. The screamfest starts Friday, October 16 and continues through the end of this horrifying year. Guests...

I love a good, original costume idea. No shade to those who are planning on dressing up as scantily clad nurses or shirtless firemen, but I’m more impressed with those who think outside the box during the spookiest time of year.  Here are some ideas that are sure to win you a costume contest while paying homage to your favorite state: A last-minute costume: Saguaro Cactus We’ve all been there! Halloween can sometimes sneak up...

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Afraid of not having any Halloween plans? Fret not! Here is a list of fun, spooky events happening in the Valley. What: Halloween in Fair Verona: A Romeo & Juliet Masquerade Ball Where: Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. 2nd Ave., Phoenix When: Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. Cost: $15 for advance tickets Where else could you don a mask and your best Victorian gown (costumes are mandatory!) while listening to local DJs? Crescent Ballroom will also...

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Halloween spirit invades Carefree as this event features whimsical and elaborate pumpkin carvings by local artist Ray Villafane and his studio of carvers. The exhibit includes dozens of mischievous pumpkin characters woven throughout the 4-acre garden, plus live pumpkin carving, a beer garden, harvest market and culinary delights on weekends. Check website for times as hours vary by day. $10-$15. Carefree Desert Gardens, 101 Easy St., Carefree, 480-488-3686, enchantedpumpkingarden.com