When people ask me about my favourite daytrip-worthy small towns in Ontario, one of my first recommendations is always Elora. Located in Wellington County, about 25-30 kilometres north of Guelph and Kitchener, Elora is one of Ontario’s prettiest towns. With its 19th century architecture, quaint shops and restaurants, and naturally stunning gorge, it’s one of my favourite places to visit! You may remember this post I wrote last December about how to spend a fun and festive winter day in Elora. And while it’s certainly a jolly Christmas destination (come December, its streets are straight out of a Hallmark movie!) there happens to be another holiday that this town does exceptionally well. Every October, the streets of Elora come alive with a menagerie of ghosts, ghouls and creepy creatures… that’s because October is Monster Month in Elora!
Monster Month is one of Elora’s most beloved traditions. It all started in 1999, when local artist Tim Murton (yes, that’s his real name!) created some spooky lantern sculptures to decorate his house for Halloween. The sculptures attracted the attention of passersby, and over the years, Murton started making more and more ‘monsters’, much to the delight of locals. This ‘sculpture gallery’ soon expanded from Murton’s own front yard to the streets of Elora, and his weird and whimsical collection became known as The Twilight Zoo. As tourists from all over Ontario started flocking to Elora to see the ‘zoo’, local businesses and community groups saw an opportunity to join in on the fun, and turn the Twilight Zoo into something even bigger and spookier! They started hosting a multitude of Halloween-themed events throughout October, and Monster Month was born.
Today, over 20 years since Tim Murton started his Twilight Zoo, Monster Month is one of Elora’s most popular attractions, drawing hordes of tourists who come to participate in Halloween events, enjoy themed offerings from local restaurants and businesses, and of course, to see the monsters – the ones that started it all.
There are over 100 sculptures located throughout downtown Elora. You’ll find most of them on Mill Street and Metcalfe Street.
Skeletons feature heavily in Murton’s work…
He’s also known for his many ‘creatures’: frogs, spiders, worms, centipedes, mice, dinosaurs, dragons… no wonder it’s called The Twilight Zoo!
I especially love this ‘bookworm’ outside the Elora library.
In addition to the Murton Monsters, Elora is filled with plenty of other spooky decorations… like this giant Jack Skellington, for instance!
In the courtyard of the Elora Mews, you’ll find this fa-boo-lous Halloween tree.
Many of Elora’s shops and businesses get into the Monster Month spirit; we saw so many fun and spooky displays! Understandably, Beetlejuice was a big theme this year.
Terre Bleu’s lavender boutique was decked out with some spooky bats and spiders.
Elora’s restaurants, bars and cafés get into the spooky spirit as well; many of them offering special Monster Month cocktails and menu features. For instance, at The Evelyn (one of my favourite restaurants in town!) you can enjoy a Betelgeuse Cocktail and a Monster Burger.
In Elora, Halloween events and activities aren’t just limited to October 31 – from costume parades to ghost tours to haunted houses, there’s spooky goings-on all month long! Check out the Monster Month event calendar for a full list. There’s something happening every day until November 1, so you’ve still got a few days to check it out! One thing to note: Elora is already a popular tourist destination any time of year, and especially so during Monster Month, so be patient when it comes to finding parking. We visited last weekend and circled for about 20 minutes before finding a parking spot on a residential street, about a 10-minute walk from downtown. The weekday parking situation should be much better, but be prepared to walk a little!
We’re getting into the Halloween spirit at home, too… our front porch is all decked out with spooky decorations, and ready to welcome the trick-or-treaters on Thursday! I’ve always wanted a life-sized skeleton, and this year I finally got one. Hands down one of the best purchases I’ve ever made! Check out my Instagram reel here to see all our decorations.
Does anyone have any fun plans for Halloween? Whether you’re dressing up, going out, or greeting the trick-or-treaters, I hope you have a spooktacular evening!
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