2026 Tales From The Shadows: A Paranormal & Monster Weekend

Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 in downtown Lancaster, PA

Get ready for a weekend packed with spooky chills and cryptid thrills. The Tales From The Shadows: A Paranormal & Monster Weekend was created to celebrate all things weird and wonderful, with a focus on cryptids, ghosts, ghouls, and monsters.

What started as an event at Decades has now grown to include a variety of incredible downtown Lancaster, PA, businesses.

Events Happening All Weekend Long

Cryptid Crawl

Pick up your Cryptid Crawl Passport at Decades then visit any of the 10 participating locations in any order to get stamps (and photos!) of cryptid critters. Stops include Decades, Building Character, Madcap & Co., Lancaster Troll Market, Mayhem’s Cafe, Gallery Grow, Pocket Books, Zoetropolis, Sweetish, and Snake & Skein. Complete the route and return to Decades to get your official 2026 Cryptid Crawl Patch! While supplies last. Hours vary by location. Explore a helpful FAQ here.

Are You Afraid of the Dark? Art Show - at Zoetropolis

Explore an Are You Afraid Of The Dark? Art Show featuring a variety of local artists! Learn more here.

Monster Food & Drink Specials - at Decades

Enjoy monster-themed food and drink specials at Decades all weekend long.

Winning Cryptid Coloring Page Art Gallery - at Building Character

Explore a gallery of some of the winning Cryptid Coloring Page artwork from Building Character’s coloring contest!

Mischievous Cryptid Critter Hunt - at Gallery Grow

A mischievous cryptid critter is hiding somewhere inside Gallery Grow! Search the shop, spot the critter, and capture its location. Once you’ve found it, report back to their crew and you’ll get to reach into the Prize Trunk for a little reward!

Events on Friday, October 16, 2026

1pm-4pm RPGMonster of the Week Gaming - at Lancaster Troll Market

Play Monster of the Week, an action-horror tabletop role-playing game where a small team of hunters investigates and fights hidden supernatural threats in an episodic style of adventure! This is an advanced ticket event. Tickets available soon.

4pm-9pm Oktoberfest & BierHall Takeover at the Ice Cream Bar - at Decades

Join Decades for an Oktoberfest celebration at the Ice Cream Bar featuring beer from BierHall, special Oktoberfest food, themed ice cream, and more.

6pm-9pm Decorate Your Own Coffin Vase Activity - at Zoetropolis

Each crafter will get their own Coffin Vase and a variety of trinkets, charms and baubles to make your project spooky and spectacular! Various sizes and prices available. Learn more here.

7:30pm Lancaster City Ghost Tour - downtown Lancaster, PA

Get tickets for the Lancaster City Ghost Tour and experience a fun and entertaining evening of true ghost stories, real haunted houses, and where bodies are buried! Learn more and get tickets here.

Events on Saturday, October 17, 2026

10am-4pm Cryptid Friendship Pin Making - at Snake & Skein

Visit Snake & Skein to make cryptid friendship pins while supplies last!

10am-4pm Make Your Own Mini Cauldron Planter - at Gallery Grow

Create your own mini cauldron planter for just $5! Pick your plant, pot it up, and take home a tiny bit of Halloween magic. While supplies last!

11am-3pm Meet Cryptid & Paranormal Vendors, Authors & Experts - at Decades

Visit Decades to meet with a variety of cryptid and paranormal authors and experts including:

Daryl Marston

A paranormal investigator and TV personality known for featuring on A&E’s Ghost Hunters. Combining curiosity, skepticism, and respect, he documents evidence and searches for answers in haunted locations across the country. Beyond investigation, he is developing American Lore, an unscripted true-crime series exploring paranormal elements, forgotten histories, and mysterious cases.

Christopher Feinstein

The creator and host of Haunted American History, a Bloody Disgusting podcast launched in 2020 that explores the ghosts, folklore, cryptids, and obscure legends hiding in America's past. A writer, filmmaker, and author of The Forgotten Borough, Chris examines the intersection of horror, history, and folklore to understand how local legends evolve and shape community identity.

Jeanne Moran

Jeanne Moran writes about cryptids and monsters, some mythical and others historically true. She is the author of four books: Mikey and the Swamp Monster (picture book for ages 3-7,) Someone for Sasquatch (fantasy for ages 8-12,) and the WWII duo Risking Exposure and The Path Divided (historical fiction for ages 12 to adult.) Some of Jeanne’s cryptids have jumped right off the page and into her yarn basket, so she crochets them into soft critters to snuggle beside her readers.

Swartz Paranormal Investigators

Swartz Paranormal Investigations is a professional investigative team dedicated to exploring, documenting, and understanding unexplained phenomena. Grounded in inclusion, respect, and compassion, the group balances scientific rigor and modern technology with intuitive awareness and historical research.

Janine (Lyra the Selkie)

Janine (Lyra the Selkie) is a Lancaster-based cosplayer and rising small vendor of handmade decor and accessories. A love for dress up and fantasy led her to renaissance faires and social media cosplay communities with her husband, Peter, at her side. Janine purchased her first mermaid tail in 2022, just for the fun of it, not knowing where it would lead. One tail turned to two then three, all in pursuit of that dream tail. The perfect fit like Cinderella's slipper... or flipper. In a world of sparkly, beautiful, glamorous mermaids, Janine searched for a mersona (mermaid persona) that felt authentic to her. Then a post laying out the difference between mermaids and selkies came across her social media feed and the answer became clear. Selkies are shifters, seals in the water until they shed their pelts and walk on land as humans. They have a vulnerability to them, a deep longing beneath that mirthful spirit. As a lover of Celtic culture, this was the perfect lore to shape Janine's next character: Lyra the Selkie. Come find her beautiful creations (including fairy doors, hair accessories, and jewelry) and meet her!

Slice of the Paranormal Podcast

Meet the team behind the Slice Of The Paranormal, a podcast that explores the unexplained, uncovers bizarre history, and reviews the best pizza spots in every eerie location they investigate!

Pop-Up Pocket Books Shop

Shop a pop-up book shop with our friends at Pocket Books! Pocket Books curates an intentional, eclectic selection of books designed to create a safe space for readers to explore new ideas and interests.

Georgiana Staley

Georgiana will work with you to match you with the cryptid that bests matches your persona! She is involved with the Creative Works Of Lancaster in a variety of performances and experiences.

7:30pm Lancaster City Ghost Tour - downtown Lancaster, PA

Get tickets for the Lancaster City Ghost Tour and experience a fun and entertaining evening of true ghost stories, real haunted houses, and where bodies are buried! Learn more and get tickets here.

9pm-11pm Tarot Readings by Gillian Pearl - at Decades

Visit Decades and enjoy Tarot Readings by Gillian Pearl. Readings are hand written on a zodiac greeting card while you grab drinks and enjoy the bar. Gillian creates an approachable experience for tarot readings! Receive a one card reading for $15 or a three card reading for $30.