Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, so the City of Somerville is getting a head start on the festivities with Monster MashedUp, sponsored by Somerstreets in coordination with Union Square Main Streets, Shape Up Somerville, and the Somerville Arts Council. The event will take place this Sunday all along Somerville Ave., from Washington St. to Beacon St., rain or shine, beginning at 12 noon and ending at 4pm.

Monster MashedUp features family-friendly activities such as costume contests, a haunted house, a hayride, live music, entertainment on two stages, and delicious seasonal food from local vendors. The highlight of the event might be the pumpkin carving contest, featuring five enormous pumpkins and carvers wielding chainsaws. Anyone looking for frightful fun can join the Ghosts of Milk Row Cemetery tours for a suggested donation of just $5. And for adults who prefer Bavarian beer to ghastly ghouls, there’s an Oktoberfest co-sponsored by Sally O’Brien’s and Bull McCabe’s from 1-6pm near Union Square, stretching from Washington St. to Bow St.

Somerville Ave. will be closed to traffic for the event (to learn more about changes to traffic patterns, call the city’s 3-1-1 customer service hotline), and—fingers crossed for good weather—this will be a great opportunity to get out and enjoy what’s been a lovely fall in our community. Whether you’ve been planning your costume since last Halloween or you’re scrambling to find one now, Somerstreets’ Monster MashedUp promises to be a fun and active way to celebrate the harvest season.