News

Spellbound: A Downtown Carlisle Halloween Event will be an entire weekend of activities and events for kids & families and for adults alike. 

More events will be announced soon!

We have fun activities for the entire family happening during our Spellbound Weekend! 

Don’t miss our Digital Scavenger Hunt Mystery that will take you around Downtown Carlisle. All participants that complete the scavenger hunt will receive a prize and if your team solves the mystery correctly, you’ll be entered to win the grand prize. The first clue will be posted on our website and social media pages beginning on October 21. The scavenger hunt will run from October 21-November 1. 

Join Jennifer from Timekeeper Tours this year for her Ghost Tours around downtown during Spellbound. Date and times will be announced soon. 

 DOWNTOWN PUMPKIN PATCH: Come downtown October 21-25 and check out our Downtown Pumpkin Patch! Roam around downtown and find carefully crafted pumpkins from our downtown merchants. You’ll also be able to vote for your favorites. 

Coming Soon! 

Coming Soon! 

Think you can tell a compelling mystery in just 60 seconds?

We are thrilled to announce the return of Minute Mysteries, Carlisle's very own Mystery & Macabre Film Festival, taking place during Spellbound on Friday, October 23, 2026.

This year's theme is TRANSFORMATION
A secret revealed. A mask removed. A curse fulfilled. A stranger becoming something else entirely.

Whether your story is eerie, suspenseful, supernatural, darkly humorous, or beautifully strange, we challenge filmmakers to capture a moment when something changes, all in one (to three) minutes or less.

And once again, hosting our film festival will be John-Paul Checkett, known for his thoughtful exploration of horror, storytelling, and the genre's deeper themes.
Submission Details
• Maximum runtime: 3 minutes
• Theme: Transformation
• Original work only (no generative AI-created scripts, video, imagery, or voice performances)
• Open to all experience levels

At Spellbound, we believe the most memorable stories aren't always the longest. Sometimes all it takes is a single minute, and a moment of transformation.

We will have a public screening at Gather Your Party Games located at: 219 N Hanover Street on Friday, October 23th and will include a red carpet event before the screening and each participant will receive a goody bag for being one of the filmakers featured that evening. We highly encourage participants to bring their friends and family to the showing!

Movies will be pre-screened by the DCA to avoid any issues in playback that occurred during the upload process, and we reserve the right to decline submissions that aren't in alignment with the spirit of the event.  

Submission Guidelines

Accepted file formats: .mp4 or .mov 
Max file size: 1 GB
Length limit:  No shorter than 1 minute and not to exceed 3 minutes
Deadline for submission: October 18, 2026

Rating: PG-13
File naming convention: FirstName_LastName_Title.mp4

Upload your video: Fill out the form below and please use a link via your Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft 365 to submit your entry.

FILL OUR THE FORM WITH A LINK TO DOWNLOAD YOUR VIDEO HERE! 

BOSLER LIBRARY COMIC CON (10am-4pm): Bosler Comic Con is back for another exciting year! This event is FREE to attend. Be a part of all the fun including the Cosplay Contest, Superhero Storytime, facepainting, wand making and more! They will also also have vendors set up ranging from creators, collectors, cosplayers and a bake sale! 

CLICK HERE for complete details on Bosler Comic Con! 

SPOOKY SATURDAY (12-3pm): Saturday, October 24th from 12-3pm will be the return of Spooky Saturday! This is a downtown wide treat or treat for kids 12 and under. Kids will be able to walk around downtown in costume and collect candy from participating businesses.  A map of participating businesses will be released on Friday, October 23 and can be picked up at the Halloween House on the Square beginning at noon on the 24th. 

DOWNTOWN CARLISLE MASQUERADE BALL: Enjoy an evening of elegance and mystery in your fanciest mask at the Downtown Carlisle Masquerade Ball happening on Saturday, October 24th. The Masquerade will be held outside in the Pocket Park and parking lot of the Cumberland County Historical Society.

Live Music

Food & Drinks

Multiple Readings

To gain entry into the Masquerade, you will need to provide a ticket, a mask and answer a question to enter. You will receive the answer to the question, when you purchase your ticket.

This is an 18+ event.

Tickets go on sale July 31 at midnight! 

Coming soon!