It’s the spookiest time of year, and WGCU has a little something for everyone. So grab the popcorn, or the candy corn (if that’s what you’re into) and cozy up this weekend with some frightfully fun Halloween stories and videos from your local PBS and NPR station.
For the history buffs
The cursed children of Arcadia’s Coker Cemetery
Coker Cemetery in Arcadia, Florida.
As October 31st approaches, we’re taking a look at some of Southwest Florida’s lesser-known folklore, legends and myths. Most are familiar with the tale of a Skunk Ape creature lurking around Florida swamps, but our coast is also full of a rich subset of tales that add to the history of our state’s past. Read more >>
Passport Exclusive – Secrets of the Dead: Secrets of Spanish Florida
A Secrets of the Dead Special uncovers one story of America’s past that never made it into textbooks. Follow some of America’s leading archaeologists, maritime scientists, and historians as they share the story of Florida’s earliest settlers. It’s a story that has taken more than 450 years to reveal.
If you’re a WGCU Passport member, you can watch it now >>
Or if you’re not a member yet, click here to sign up >>
A haunted love story under the ‘Amish Bridge’ in Sarasota
Commons.Wikimedia.Org
Halloween is slithering closer and closer, so we are taking a look at some of Southwest Florida’s lesser-known folklore, legends, and myths. WGCU’s Tara Calligan sat down with author and folklorist Christopher Balzano to explore a tragic tale of star-crossed lovers. Read more >>
For the monster lovers
Explore folklore and legends with Monster Expert and PBS host Dr. Emily Zarka
Dr. Emily Zarka, writer and host for “Monstrum,” an online series with PBS’s Storied channel on YouTube that looks at complex histories and motivations behind some of the world’s most famous monsters, myths and legends.
Where do the tales of monsters hiding under your bed or ghost stories come from? 👻🧟
Dr. Emily Zarka, Monster Expert and host of PBS Digital Studios’ MONSTRUM, joins #GulfCoastLife to discuss the complex histories and motivations behind some of the world’s most famous monsters, myths and legends.
We talk about her fascination with reanimated corpuses, how the ‘final girl’ came to be, the way monsters evolve alongside society, and dig into the lore of the Kraken and La Llorna. Read more >>
Antiques Roadshow: Kooky & Spooky
Celebrate Halloween with thrilling and chilling finds, like a rag doll nicknamed “Chucky,” a nightmarish Leonora Carrington painting, and an eye-catching “Bride of Frankenstein” pressbook. Which macabre and magnificent treasure is $250,000-$350,000? Watch now >>
Florida History and Folklore Researcher and Author Mark Muncy Explores Monsters, Murder and Mystery
With Halloween just days away, we listen back to our 2018 conversation exploring some of Florida’s strangest tales of the macabre, murder, monsters and mystery with author and Florida history and folklore researcher Mark Muncy. Read more >>
For the little monsters in your life
Get the candy bowl ready: Dr. Fauci says Halloween is a go this year
It’s time to get those costumes and bowls of candy ready — Halloween is just around the corner.
And unlike last year, trick-or-treating can go ahead this season — that’s according to the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Read more >>
No Tricks, Just Treats! Being a Good Neighbor at Halloween
Help your child practice being a good neighbor during Halloween with these reminders from PBS Kids. Read more>>
Need some new Halloween movies and books for your kids? Do come in (mwah-ha-ha)
Mitch Haaseth/Disney
Kids are under plenty of stress these days, absorbing grownups’ various real-world anxieties, not to mention wearing masks long before picking out their Halloween costumes. If you’re looking for age-appropriate distractions that won’t give them nightmares, we’ve got you covered. Read more >>
For the ones who call their pet their “familiar”
Bats May Hold Secrets to Longer and Healthier Lives
Could the source of the deadliest viruses hold the secret to a healthier and longer life? Bats have been in the news in recent years in connection to deadly epidemics including Ebola and COVID-19, yet scientists are discovering evidence that bats may hold a key to longer and healthier lives. Read more >>
Radioactive Wolves
What happens to nature after a nuclear accident? The historic nuclear accident at Chernobyl is now 25 years old. Filmmakers and scientists set out to document the lives of the packs of wolves and other wildlife thriving in the “dead zone” that still surrounds the remains of the reactor. Watch now >>