Pumpkin Patch to open at the Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train

Choo-choo-chugga-chugga-chugga on the creaky, haunted miniature railway inside the deep dark woods of Vancouver's Stanley Park this weekend for some hair-raising Halloween fun on the Ghost Train.

But, wait.

The Vancouver Observer has just learned that a patch of pumpkins has "mysteriously" appeared near the clattering railroad. The orange heads stick out of the ground calling ghost train riders to "Come and play". Some people say that they can hear strange voices calling out in the deep of the night: "Pick me, pick me, pick me."

Pluck a pumpkin, take it with you for pumpkin carving night (see below for dates) and turn it into a mean-looking Jack O’Lantern or a funny clown face, as you prepare for the night of screams. Pumpkin Patch opens on Thursday, October 18.

What: Opening of the Stanley Park Pumpkin Patch

When: From Thursday October 18, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., unill Halloween.

Where: Inside the plaza of the Miniature Railway in Stanley Park (off Pipeline Road)

Cost: $5 each (cash only, while quantities last)

Kids can also take part in special pumpkin carving nights on Tuesday, October 17, and Tuesday, October 23, in the plaza of the miniature railway.

What: Pumpkin carving nights

When: Tuesday, October 16, and Tuesday, October 23, starting at 6 p.m.

Where: Plaza, Miniature Railway in Stanley Park (off Pipeline Road)

Who: The first 50 families

Cost: Free with the purchase of a ticket on the Ghost Train

The Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train runs from October 5 to October 31, nightly from 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and from 6 to 11 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays. Matinee Train every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a special "train only" price of $5 per rider (all ages).