Those who haunt Town Hall and the Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library have been scurrying about to transform parking lots and lawns into a free Halloween family event for ghosts and goblins of all ages.

Dudley’s annual Spooktakular returns on Thursday, October 23. This event hosted by the Dudley Recreation Commission with spirited participation from the library crew is set to thrill during the daylight hours of 5 – 6:30 p.m.

Festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. when families are invited to gather in costume at the Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library, 40 Schofield Ave., for fun family activities.

At 5 p.m. the gaggle of ghosts and goblins will receive a police escort as they parade up Brandon Road to Town Hall.

There, families will be greeted with lots of frightfully free fun. Highlights include games, live music, a balloon artist, a Cauldron of S’mores, hot dogs and drinks.

No Halloween party would be complete without a costume contest, and this one will award prizes for the scariest, funniest, and most unique costumes.

This program is funded in part by a grant from the Dudley Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the state MassCultural Council.