Northville's First Fright Night Festival Guarantees Halloween Family Fun

There's a new Halloween celebration in downtown Northville this year — the first Fright Night Festival and Road Rally.

The event, 3 to 11 p.m. Saturday, promises live entertainment, a food contest, a canine costume contest, pumpkin carving and more. Heated tents and food trucks will line Main Street between Wing and Center streets. Bricks of Northville will house the October "Spirit" Wine & Beer tasting under a heated tent on the outdoor patio plus showcase live music inside. See a complete festival schedule.

The road rally, which started last year in Plymouth and Canton, carries a $500 cash prize and is basically a scavenger hunt on wheels. 

"You get a clue and you will be put on one of three courses," said Lisa M. Swanson, president of nonprofit Chicks4Charities, which is organizing the festival.

Teams, who must register in advance, will spend about three hours exploring places in Northville and completing challenges. There are about eight to 10 stops on each route, she said. Anyone who uses the help hotline loses two points, but there are also opportunities to gain bonus points. 

"Last year it was to take a picture of your team playing Ouija in a cemetery," she said. 

Proceeds from the event will support No Child Goes Hungry, a Chicks4Charities campaign.

"This is our first year so $20,000 is the goal," she said. 

Chicks4Charities is a group of dedicated women from Northville and surrounding communities like Novi, South Lyon, Canton and Plymouth. Their mission is to encourage and empower women to step up and "pay it forward." They have helped 20,000 local people in need through customized charitable events. One such event was the Fright Night Road Rally in Plymouth and Canton last year, which raised $10 to $15,000, Swanson said.

Northville is notorious for its Halloween celebrations and has lately been experiencing a rejuvenation. Swanson said they were invited to expand and bring the event to Northville by a group of connected professionals passionate about revitalizing downtown Northville's energy, also known as "Downtown Northville 2.0" on LinkedIn.

"It’s been a joy to work with the business owners," she said. "We're happy to be having it in downtown Northville."

See a full schedule of events for the Fright Night Fest.