10/30 @ EMPAC, Troy
“It’s going to be dark, there are going to be jump scares…”
Halloween is a holiday that sits on a spectrum, from the not-so-spooky, to the downright scary — something that EMPAC is taking full advantage of with their event “Beneath The Hudson” this Friday, October 30. Opening their entire facility to the public, there will be something for everyone, both the young and the young at heart. To get a more in depth look into all of the happenings, I chatted with EMPAC Curatorial Project Manager, Catherine Abbott.
EMPAC has been exploring ways to connect with the Troy community, so when the idea of creating a haunted attraction came up, there was a lot of excitement around the possibilities. When one of Abbott’s colleagues started doing some research into the local history, they landed on the theme and built it out from there.
“Our theatre and dance coordinator, Tara Aisha Willis pitched the idea of doing some sort of trick-or-treat event and from there our team just got excited to utilize our facilities in a way.”
What that morphed into is a one-night-only event that utilizes several areas of EMPAC, featuring activities geared more towards younger crowds from 3–7 p.m., then turning into a more mature geared space from 7–10 p.m. The main attraction of course will be the haunted one. Taking place in the Goodman Studio, it’s themed around historical shipwrecks in the Hudson, and will feature a mix of sound and visual technologies, and live scare actors with a recommended age of nine and older.
“It’s going to be dark, there are going to be jump scares, and we just want to be sure that everyone is comfortable and safe,” Abbott tells me.
For those younger audiences, there will be plenty to get into the spooky spirit. The seventh floor lobby will be dedicated to trick-or-treating, which will consist of local Troy businesses like Troy Rewind and Nerdy By Nature, as well as various RPI student clubs handing out candy and other treats, with additional activities to participate in as well. In the theatre, there will be a showing of Muppet Treasure Island, starring the late Tim Curry, with a kids costume contest as the lead up from 4–5 p.m.
“We got some local businesses to donate prizes, including some local candy companies, because what’s more iconic than candy on Halloween?”
Evelyn’s Cafe will be serving spooky snacks and will feature a self-service photo booth with props provided by Proctor’s Theatre (who also provided props for the haunted attraction). This will be one of the main areas where the shift into the more adult experience will be when the beer and wine start flowing at 7 p.m. and Hellseeker Club DJs Rachel Rave and 100 Psychic Dreams will be spinning. In addition, there will be an adult costume contest and a showing of the movie Lake Placid, also in the seventh floor lobby and theatre.
“We see this as a meaningful way to connect RPI and downtown,” Abbott admits. “A lot of students stay on campus, so this is a chance to experience some different things, while also giving the community a chance to experience EMPAC.”
Another cool activity at the event is mask making with the FlagSSSDay Collective. This year’s annual Crow Procession is on December 12 in downtown Troy, so this gives another opportunity to make that connection between the campus and downtown, while still being on brand for the theme of the evening and beyond.
For more information, check out https://empac.rpi.edu/events/2026/halloween
