Remote Surveillance Trailer in Richland, WA

Spooky season has arrived, and Tri-Cities has plenty of thrills and chills in store throughout October.

Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly function, a petrifying party or a horrifying haunt, there’s something for you.

Here are some options for things to do in Tri-Cities leading up to Halloween.

Celebrate Halloween with Tri-Cities dance parties, concerts

Tri-Cities venues with celebrate Halloween with dance parties, concerts and drag shows in October, featuring electronic dance music, hardcore and other genres.

Night of the Living Bass

Renowned DJ FIGURE will bring his horror-inspired EDM set to Azúcar at Out and About in Pasco on Saturday, Oct. 11.

The venue at 327 West Lewis St. is the only LGBTQ+ club in the area.

The show starts at 8:30 p.m., with the party lasting until close. Tickets are available on EventBrite for $39.19, including the online sales fee.

If you prefer assorted rock genres, hit up the Uptown Theatre, 1300 Jadwin Ave. in Richland, on Friday, Oct. 24, for a Halloween bash featuring some fan-favorite Eastern Washington bands.

The lineup includes local bands Jacob and the Velvet Helmets, Pazzi Pazzi and Trotting Roux. Walla Walla’s Heel Klick and Cheney’s ATOMSK will also play before the headliner, popular Tri-Cities hardcore band DEATHNUT. Costumes are encouraged.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m., and the music starts around 5:30 p.m.

Tickets cost $10, or $15 at the door, with proceeds benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Other Halloween-themed shows across Tri-Cities include:

Field of Scream haunt returns to Tri-Cities in 2025

Tri-Cities’ premier haunt experience is Field of Screams at Red Dot Paintball, 3430 Beardsley Road in Richland. It’s open through the month of October.

Featuring more than 15,000 square feet of scares, this year’s Field of Screams features two new haunts — KarnEvil and Reoccurring Nightmares — and a new format alongside its classic zombie thrill ride and outbreak theme.

The recommended minimum age is 12, according to organizers.

Final prices will depend on the date and time your visit, plus the experience you choose. Individual experiences start at $19.95, haunts at $32.95 and haunts plus the thrill ride at $44.95.

Family-friendly events in Tri-Cities in October

Several frightfully fun events are in store for Tri-Cities families in October.

Nightmare Before Christmas Ball

The annual Nightmare Before Christmas Ball returns to the Benton County Fairgrounds, 1500 South Oak St. in Kennewick, on Saturday, Oct. 11.

The ball, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., features a costume contest, jack-o-lantern contest, live performances, face painting, music and more. Admission is $10, or free for children under 3.

From 7 to 11 p.m., the event transforms into The Remix, an 18-and-older party with aerial circus acts, a drag show, tarot readings, cocktails and dancing. There’s also a costume contest with a $200 prize.

Tickets are $20, or $50 for VIP access.

The Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership’s Halloween celebration features a costume parade, costume contest, trick-or-treating, vendors, music and more. Stop by downtown Kennewick between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Spooktacular Halloween

The Green Room Tattoo Lounge is hosting Halloween festivities at the Uptown Shopping Center, 1300 George Washington Way in Richland.

On Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1, you can find vendors, food, trick-or-treating, ofrendas and kids activities from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Spooky Hall

The city of Pasco will transform City Hall into Spooky Hall on Halloween.

Costumes and trick-or-treating are encouraged at the event, 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31. Use the entrance on Sylvester Street and Third Avenue to get started. You’ll get a map guiding you through the decorated halls.

If you think traffic at the south end of Richland’s George Washington Way is already too stressful, it’s about to get worse before it gets better.

Improvements at the intersection of George Washington Way and Aaron Drive/Columbia Point Drive begin Sept. 2, according to a release from the city of Richland. That’s when contractor Ellison Earthworks will begin work on the west side of George Washington Way, eliminating the parking lane up to Benham Street.

“This intersection is a vital gateway to Richland and our region,” said city manager Jon Amundson in a statement. “These improvements represent years of planning and collaboration to ensure safer, more efficient travel for our community. In addition, these improvements will play a key role to the success of our upcoming downtown loop project.”

Construction is expected to wrap up in late November 2025. The intersection will remain open through construction, though lane closures will be needed to complete the work. In addition to limiting parking on George Washington Way between Benham and Comstock streets, all roadside parking south of Benham will be eliminated as part of the project.

George Washington Way is one of the busiest traffic corridors in the Tri-Cities, with thousands of workers, many employed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory or Hanford site contractors, traveling it every day. That’s led to severe traffic congestion, collisions and risks for pedestrians and cyclists.

The city began developing plans for the intersection in 2019, with federal grants flowing from the Benton Franklin Council of Governments helping to launch it. The state Department of Transportation and Ben Franklin Transit have provided input on the project along with the council and the general public.

Updates to the intersection include:

Go to www.ci.richland.wa.us/SouthGWay.

After a two-year stint on the picturesque Oregon coast, a familiar face to Tri-City educators is making a return.

Matt Ellis, former superintendent of Prosser School District, who most recently led the Tillamook School District, has been hired as Richland’s new director of human resources.

He started the job July 1, and the school board approved his hiring at the June 24 meeting.

“For me, Richland was an opportunity to come home,” Ellis said during his introduction at Tuesday’s night’s Richland School Board meeting.

His recent and sudden departure from the 2,000-student Tillamook School District left many in rural Northwest Oregon with questions.

Ellis resigned on July 1 from the district after the school board placed him on an extended administrative leave, the reason for which was never revealed in public statements.

He arrived in Tillamook in 2023 on a three-year contract after having served five years as Prosser’s top educator. A short June 29 resignation letter to the Tillamook School Board reportedly did not detail his reason for leaving.

But Ellis, 44, told the Herald after this week’s meeting that he and his wife had intended to return to the Tri-Cities, and that he was in the midst of negotiating a separation agreement with the board.

He declined any characterization that the exit was messy.

“These are people that I get to actually learn from and collaborate with, so I’m honored to just be part of that team,” he said, highlighting his long lasting relationships with Richland’s “top-notch” executive staff.

In a statement, Richland Superintendent Shelley Redinger said Ellis will bring “extensive experience in public education and a strong commitment to supporting our staff and students.”

“Matt also brings a strong community connection to our district. He grew up in Prosser and brings a deep understanding of our region and the people who make it special,” she continued.

Ellis replaces Tim Praino, another longtime Tri-Cities educator and the former Richland High School principal.

Praino resigned July 31 as executive director of HR and started a new job the following day as interim superintendent of the Kittitas School District. He’ll make $165,000 on a one-year contract as the school board there searches for a permanent replacement.

Ellis’ salary wasn’t immediately known. His base salary while in Tillamook was about $180,000, according to the Headlight Herald.

A product of Prosser, Ellis was a prodigy Mustang wrestler who won two state high school championships and later went on to compete for Oregon State University while pursuing his undergraduate degree. He coached at Stanford University for a time before graduating with his master’s degree in teaching from University of the Cumberlands.

His teaching career started in 2008, when he was hired by Grandview School District as a social studies teacher. Ellis took over as high school principal in the Royal School District before serving as Lind-Ritzville Cooperative Schools superintendent from 2016 to 2018.

The superintendent job in Prosser brought him home that year. Before departing from the district in 2023, he told the Herald his reasons for staying had “dissolved” over the past five years, especially in the wake of his mother’s death.

But Ellis says he was drawn back to the Mid-Columbia yet again to be closer to family — specifically, his siblings and 94-year-old grandfather. He also gets the chance to work in a bigger district and earn more service credit years.

His family will maintain a home on the coast; Ellis noted that, during his time in Oregon, few family members made the trip down to visit.