The North Coast and Long Beach Peninsula are well-known for their storied histories and ghost tales.

This weekend, the region will come alive with Halloween happenings — from carnivals and pet parades to a Victorian seance at one of Washington state’s oldest hotels.

At one event, the dead even come to life beside their own gravestones.

Read on to discover more of what’s in store:

Witches Paddle

Seaside’s annual “Halloween Happenin’s” weekend starts with a group of costumed witches and warlocks aboard kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards.

Witches Paddle participants plan to meet at 9 a.m. Saturday in Quatat Park before a 10 a.m. launch into the Necanicum River.

After they’re back on land, a carnival at the park between noon and 3 p.m. will offer an assortment of games and professional pumpkin carving.

On Sunday, Seaside will feature a 10 a.m. downtown pet parade and trunk or treat from noon to 2 p.m. at the Turnaround. Seaside’s well-loved pumpkin drop event will wait until after Halloween on Nov. 2.

In Ilwaco, a similar Witches Paddle is set to get underway from noon to 3 p.m. Friday on Black Lake, alongside raffle prizes, food and a haunted maze for kids.

Talking Tombstones

This tour, hosted each year at a different cemetery in Clatsop County, gives guests the chance to learn about the people who called the North Coast home decades ago.

“It’s a wonderful way to bring history alive, bring the past forward, and tell some stories,” McAndrew Burns, executive director of the Clatsop County Historial Society, said.

The stories of 10 cemetery residents are prepared and shared as vignette-style performances by actors. Donning historical attire, the performers resurrect tidbits of former Clatsop citizens’ lives.

This year, Talking Tombstones is returning to Greenwood Cemetery from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, and it’s aptly titled “Grave Mistakes.” Burns said guests can expect to hear stories that include a victim of a mining accident, a local doctor, and other people who perished in accidents decades ago.

“We oftentimes forget that these are people who led full lives,” he said.

Guests can also expect to hear stories of the Gimres, a local family known for owning the Gimre Shoe Store.

A grave roster on the Greenwood Cemetery website shows seven of their family members were laid to rest at Greenwood, many during the early 20th century. Their shoe store opened in 1892 and is still in business today.

Rain or shine, the event is well-loved and draws a few hundred people yearly, Burns said. It’s a free, no-cost event, which Burns said is part of the historical society’s educational mission.

“These are incredible stories, we want to remind people that cemeteries aren’t scary,” he said.

The historical society recruits people every year to serve as the event’s actors. Some new people are joining this year and others who have done Talking Tombstones before, Burns said.

Performances start at 1 p.m. and are scheduled to go until 4 p.m. Each story takes around five to 10 minutes, and guests cycle through each gravestone.

Downtown Trick or Treat

The streets of downtown Astoria will be filled with little ghouls and goblins as local businesses offer up candy during an annual Downtown Trick or Treat from 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 31.

Organized by the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association, the event sees families and kids dress up and bring out their trick-or-treat bags — and plenty of pets arrive in costume, too.

The Liberty Theatre will have spooky music on rotation from Clammy 99.7 throughout the afternoon, and first responders from Astoria Dispatch, the Astoria police and fire departments will be handing out treats.

A few blocks away on Pier 39, the Astoria Uppertown Business Association will be throwing a Halloween Carnival from 3 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31, with games and activities offered for all ages.

Individual businesses will organize games, like a cakewalk at Coffee Girl and a bottle toss game at Rogue Brewing Co., and guests can enjoy cider, doughnuts, and a haunted hallway from gift shop Ghost Ship Trading Post.

Meanwhile, across the Columbia River, a Halloween Block Party will close Lake Street in Ilwaco between 4 and 9 p.m. Oct. 31 for kids’ games near the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum and a “haunted station” at the Ilwaco Fire Department. Parking is free for the event.

Further inland, the Finnish American Folk Festival will also be hosting a Halloween Bash from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Naselle Community Center.

More to check out

• “Bats, Spiders, Owls — Oh My!” — learn about these nocturnal creatures of the woods at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. Park ranger-led tours will depart every 20 minutes between 6 and 7:40 p.m. Friday from the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center.

• Seance with Seth — Seaview’s Shelburne Hotel, in operation since 1896, is no stranger to ghost stories. At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31, join magician Seth Howard there for a Victorian-era séance. Reservations and formal attire are required; the event is limited to ages 18 and over.

• Astoria Ghost Tours — Gulley’s Butcher Shop in Astoria is another place that’s been home to plenty of ghostly rumors. Book a private tour of the shop’s spooky underground for $20 per person or $15 for ages 12 and under.