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Haunted Cabins | Chestertown, NY | October 24, 2026

  • Forest Lake Camp 261 Forest Lake Road Chestertown, New York, 12817 United States (map)

Haunted Cabins and Dancing Witches: Halloween at Forest Lake Camp in Chestertown

Sign encouraging people to enter a haunted house.

Summer camp cabins have a new assignment in Chestertown: handing out Halloween candy.

The fourth annual Forest Lake Halloween Festival returns to Forest Lake Camp in the southern Adirondacks on Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 2 pm – 6 pm, with free admission, a haunted house, and a new Trick-or-Treat Trail.

Designed for families, the afternoon combines handmade Halloween scenery with performances, games, and a children’s costume contest.

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Forest Lake Camp’s haunted house puts artistry first.

The haunted house occupies the camp pavilion, where a maze incorporates 165 custom art panels. Standing six feet tall and measuring four to six feet wide, the panels create a substantial canvas for seasonal mischief.

Their creator, a self-taught artist identified in The Sun’s event coverage as Confer, uses acrylic and fluorescent paint under black lights to bring the imagery to life. He began his interest in building haunted houses decades ago as a project he shared with his young son.

That personal history helps explain the attraction’s approach. Visitors can expect surprises and some scares, but the organizer says the experience avoids graphic gore, touching, or grabbing. Families should still consider each child’s comfort with startling moments before entering.

Painted halloween pumpkins.

A new trick-or-treat trail in Chestertown.

This year’s addition makes inventive use of the camp’s layout. Cabins arranged in a U-shape will become individual trick-or-treat stops, decorated and staffed by local businesses, organizations, and individuals.

Children are encouraged to arrive in costume and knock on cabin doors for treats. It gives the familiar neighborhood Halloween ritual an Adirondack camp setting, with a collection of temporary neighbors ready to answer the door.

The cabin trail also gives children another way to participate if their enthusiasm for candy outweighs their appetite for haunted-house surprises. A costume contest gives youngsters another reason to debut their Halloween outfits early.

Dancing Witches, games, and flying gourds.

The Dancing Witches will perform multiple times throughout the afternoon. Their appearances will join a scavenger hunt, lawn games, a pumpkin-and-gourd launcher, and a raffle.

Together, the activities give families several ways to spend the four-hour festival. Visitors can explore the haunted house, follow the cabin trail, and make time for a performance without building the entire outing around a single attraction.

Meet the Adirondack Dancing Witches on ADK Talks.

Who’s behind the pointed hats? In this episode of ADK Talks, meet the Adirondack Dancing Witches and hear the story behind the group bringing its own brand of Halloween spirit to Forest Lake Camp.

The Adirondack Dancing Witches share their story on ADK Talks.

Catch the Dancing Witches in person at the Forest Lake Halloween Festival in Chestertown on October 24, with multiple performances from 2 pm to 6 pm.

The Adirondack Dancing Witches assembled.

The Adirondack Dancing Witches.

ADK Taste insight.

The festival grew from a smaller fall gathering for the camp’s summer guests. Adding a volunteer-created haunted house helped turn it into a community event, supported by Confer and his wife Carol, Chestertown Rotary Club, and the North Warren Chamber of Commerce.

The setting is part of its character: familiar summer-camp spaces become an autumn gathering place, with local volunteers supplying the scenery, entertainment, and welcome.

ADK Taste recommendation.

Bring a separate bag for the Trick-or-Treat Trail, and choose costumes that allow children to move comfortably between cabins and activities. Families interested in the Dancing Witches should ask about performance times upon arrival; individual showtimes have not been published in the information available.

Forest Lake Camp is at 261 Forest Lake Road, Chestertown, NY 12817. Read The Sun’s festival preview for additional background.

Keep more Adirondack discoveries on the calendar: subscribe to In Good Taste.

Frequently asked questions.

When is the Forest Lake Halloween Festival?‍ ‍

Saturday, October 24, 2026, 2 pm–6 pm.

Where does it take place?‍ ‍

At Forest Lake Camp, 261 Forest Lake Road, Chestertown, NY 12817.

How much is admission?‍ ‍

Festival admission is free.

Is the haunted house suitable for children?‍ ‍

Organizers describe it as family-friendly, with surprises but no graphic gore, touching, or grabbing. Children’s tolerance for scares will vary.

What activities are planned?‍ ‍

The haunted house, a new cabin Trick-or-Treat Trail, Dancing Witches performances, a scavenger hunt, lawn games, a pumpkin and gourd launcher, a children’s costume contest, and a raffle.


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