I promised to keep you up to date on all of the Halloween events happening around town this week, so here are two more you should check out!

Pumpkin Run 5K

There will be a Pumpkin Run 5k at Petersfield Park in Westmount this Sunday, October 30th.

The price to register is $15, but if you wear a costume (which is highly encouraged), it’s only $10!

Registration starts at 9AM, and the run takes place at 10AM.

I would definitely suggest wearing a costume that you are comfortable in… AKA: maybe not the block figure costume pictured above. It’s, strange creative to say the least.

Halloween at the Pit

Don’t bother leaving campus, and attend the Halloween Party at The Pit on October 28th!

The party will also be in the cafeteria, so the more the merrier. It’s a 19+ event, and it is $10 to attend.

Start planning now for a super creative costume, because, the person with the best costume will win an iPhone 4! Pretty sweet, if you ask me.

Doors open at 9PM.

It seems I have dropped the ball on blogging last week. I had a post drafted for you, and forgot to publish it! Unfortunately, it was about a time-sensitive event. So, I have something extra special today to make up for it.

Halloween is up and coming. In one week from today, we’ll be dressing up in our most fantastic costumes and ready to hit the streets Trick or Treating… But wait, I think we’re too old for that now.

That being said, there are still some truly awesome things happening in Cape Breton for Halloween 2011. Here are some that I’m looking forward to.

Psychology Movie Night – Hocus Pocus and Paranormal Activity

On October 26th from 7-11 in the RBC theatre, catch a screening of Hocus Pocus and Paranormal Activity to get in the mood for Halloween.

Treats will be available, including popcorn and candy. Admission is by donation, which will go to the Mental Health Ward. You can have fun, while doing a good deed.

Hank’s Farm – Pumpkin Patch

Gather up a group of friends and take a road trip to Hank’s Farm in Boularderie. There are many things to do there, but don’t miss out on picking up some pumpkins from the pumpkin patch.

Once you’ve found your pumpkin, organize a Carving Party! It is seasonal, fun, and cheap. Plus, you can save the pumpkin seeds and roast them in the oven – yummy.

For more information about Hank’s hours, call 902-674-2646.

Tales from the Bottom of a Well

Get your spook on this Halloween via Tales from the Bottom of a Well. The Tales are in their third season, which means they know how to deliver an excellent show.

The performance takes place in St. Patrick’s Museum as well, which is rumoured to be quite haunted. (Yikes!)

Doors open at 8pm, but I’ve heard through the grapevine to go a bit early to guarantee a seat. Just make sure to bring a friend who is okay with you squeezing their arm for the duration of the show.

Those are my pre-Halloween things to do. In addition, I’ve been stuffing leaves into little plastic ghosts for around my yard… and have been drinking more than my fair share of pumpkin spice tea.

What are your plans for Halloween?

Stay tuned for more updates as they come!

A week ago today I left for New York City.

I have wanted to visit New York for years; so when I found a cheap ticket and had a long weekend paired with a convenient school schedule, I knew I had to go. Thus, I packed my bags and was off to the Big Apple.

If anyone wants to know more about where I stayed and how I got around, I will definitely write another blog about the logistics of the trip. But for now, here’s a rundown of my mini-vacation in the city.

Times Square

Times Square was a lot like how I imagined. It is busy and flashy and a bit crazy! I didn’t stay very close to Times Square, so I only “took-it-in” for a few minutes on my first night, which was enough for me.

See the building in the middle? The building has no tenants, and makes $10 million dollars a year just from advertising. Once again, crazy!

Pizza

Since New York is a little on the expensive side, I ate cheaper meals. A block away from the hotel I stayed at was this fantastic pizza shop. This pizza totally rivalled its ancestors in Italy that I enjoyed this summer. Fresh basil and mozza are a beautiful and delicious thing. Slices are generally $4, but can be found for cheaper.

Statue of Liberty

I couldn’t go to New York without seeing the State of Liberty. On my second day in New York the weather was beautiful, so I hopped on a *free* ferry to Staten Island. The ferry is free and gets you this close to the Statue of Liberty. As a bonus, you get a gorgeous view of Manhattan. I would highly recommend the ferry ride, which takes about an hour and a half going over and back.

Since I only had 4 and a half days in the city, I decided to splurge on a Hop On/Hop Off bus tour. I got the all-loop pass, which was valid for two days. All together it was $50. Trust me, you’ll want to take it! I learned so much from the hilarious tour guides, and got to see Brooklyn and all of Manhattan (Harlem, Uptown, Downtown – etc).

The bus also got me where I wanted to go, and gave me a really good idea of the city so that when I didn’t have the pass, I’d know where to go.

Once the pass ran out, I did use the Subway to get around, as well as walking. As a well-traveled person – I found it a bit complicated and sometimes even slow. Fares are $2.25 for a single ride. If you can, avoid it. You’ll see more up on the surface.

Veggie Burger at Pier 17

This was a lunch/supper meal on Pier 17. It was a delicious veggie burger. New York has tons of options for veggies like me, as well as for just about every appetite!

Morning in Manhattan

I’m an early riser, so I loved catching beautiful views of the city like this one. This is the Empire State Building, and behind it, the sun coming up.

New World Trade Center buildings

These buildings-in-progress are the new World Trade Center buildings.

You cannot get close to the site as of yet. There is a museum that is now open, but you have to order the tickets well in advance of your trip. Nonetheless, it was still unbelievable to see the area. Few words can describe it. It’s certainly a must-see when in the area though.

From there I visited the Top of the Rock, where you can get panoramic views of New York from 70 storeys above.

The view is incredible! It was definitely the highlight of my trip, and only cost $23.

From there I also saw a taping of the David Letterman show, shopped around Chinatown, and wandered around the city… stopping of course, to indulge in treats like these.

Mint chocolate chip cupcake from Crumbs.

All in all, the trip was incredible. I would highly recommend visiting, especially when you find a cheap flight. Although a 4-5 day trip is fast, it does give you a starting point of what to do and see there for your next visit.

As for me, the wheels are already turning as to when I can get there again. While I wouldn’t want to live there, the hour and a half long plane ride there is the perfect mini-vacation.

Sleeping is optional in NYC.

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to participate in Run for the Cure with the CBU Students’ Union Women’s Centre’s team.

I had never been to the actual event before, although I have fundraised for it in the past. Nonetheless, after having a blast at the Fiddler’s Run in September, (Yes – I did my 10K goal!) I knew it was something I would be more than interested in. So, I signed up, raised some money and that was that.

The run was on October 2nd, which just so happened to be a rainy day. Although, considering we were supposed to get a Hurricane that day, it’s safe to say it could have been worse. Despite the rain, it was still fairly mild.

At 7:30AM the CBU team met to put on our t-shirts and register together. We were there quite in advance, so we snacked on some free bananas and apples and chatted with other volunteers, runners, and survivors.

At about 9:30AM things kicked off with introduction speeches from board members from the organizations involved, a survivor speech, and a fun Zumba workout to get participants warmed up. Let’s just say, our CBU team enjoyed the workout a lot, maybe even more than the run itself!

Following the warmup, it was time to run. The race track circled the armouries in downtown Sydney, then went up the Esplanade and down around the duck pond and back. It was a nice track with no major hills. As I ran back, I was met with the view of all of the other participants walking. It was overwhelming and surprising! Everyone was wearing their pink – even the dogs involved. People were cheering, laughing and just enjoying the day and their efforts to end breast cancer.

I finished the 5k in under 30 minutes, but unfortunately I couldn’t stick around for the closing ceremonies. Nonetheless, I did hear that CBU raised the third most out of all of the schools in the area! Very nice news.

The day was wonderful, even with the so-so weather. Spirits were high, and it’s always so nice to see our community come together to work towards a cause.

I would highly recommend the run, or the many other fundraising events that the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation puts on.

For more information on CBCF’s fight to end breast cancer, or for information on how you can get involved, visit their website.