To Do in RI: Boo! With a twist in Chepachet – Jeff Gross

by Jeff Gross, contributing writer

As frost is now a regular on the Pumpkin – and All Hallows’ Eve is rapidly approaching, the town of Chepachet, Rhode Island now has a fantastic Scarecrow display in effect.  This Scarecrow display has been going on since this writer moved to Chepachet in 2024. Businesses, organizations, schools all join in the creativity.

I must say a lot of man-hours and artistic creativity go into these displays. The Scarecrows and other Goblins have their own uniqueness. Businesses create a display that portrays their company in a Halloween type flair.  This same flair applies to the others exhibited by their creators who have their own artistic talents.

To go into great detail about the array is to detract from the exhibits, so I highly recommend taking a tour of the main strip as the goblins, ghosts and scarecrows line the road. One can tour the event in the daylight this weekend. Families are also viewing the Scarecrows at night.

It was 7 pm Friday night and a host of visitors were walking along in the dark. A group of 20-something young ladies toured the landscape all dressed up as witches. They also had in hand their Soy Macchiato Espresso Latte el Grande with a dash of Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon.  Were they setting the mood for the evening as they toured?  Could they be headed to the Railway of Horrors at Harmony Railway & Gift Shop in Chepachet or maybe Demon Woods in Smithfield RI?  We may only know if they make it back to tell the tale.

This tour of the town is all free and you can enjoy your favorite hot or cold libation afterwards or maybe even dinner. There are a few restaurants on Route 44 and also northbound on Route 102.  Setting the mood in this fashion can set a great mood for adventures later that night – what with wicked witches of the east and naughty nurses out and about.

As a friend, Tony DiBiasio (Airborne Traffic Reporter) aka “Eye in the Sky” often said, watch out for the gawk factor.  As you tour the exhibition pay close attention to the traffic as traffic has been heavy on RT 44, also known as Putnam Pike, and the drivers are gawking at the goblins. If viewing at night, dress warmly. When taking a few photos of the display it was 43F at 6:30 pm and a shirt and fleece pullover did not cut it.  But by all means – enjoy yourselves. Halloween and all the fun will soon be gone – don’t let it pass you by.

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Jeffrey “Jeff” Gross spent 21 years as an Analytical Chemist at the USCG R&D Center in Groton, Connecticut, Woods Hole Laboratories, and Helix Technologies. An avid outdoorsman and conservationist, Jeff is a Model Train and Railroad entrepreneur. He writes on the Outdoors, Second Amendment, and Model Railroading, and can be reached at: [email protected].