Skip to Main Content
McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

The Woodstock Opera House in the center of the Woodstock Square stands surrounded by an eerie ambiance with its urban legends, among many others in McHenry County.

Countdown to Halloween | Urban legends of McHenry County

Paulina Borowski, Marketing Director October 31, 2023

Halloween is the season of all things scary, specifically scary stories. There are always legends of creepy houses and ghost hauntings told around a campfire during the Halloween season, though it is possible...

Part of The Nightmare Before Christmas's audience claims that the film represents the Christmas spirit more.

Countdown to Halloween | Opinion: “Nightmare Before Christmas” is a Christmas movie  

Olivia Smith, Staff Writer October 30, 2023

A couple gets home from a frigid day of ice skating, holiday shopping, and enjoying other Christmas activities. They turn on their television and settle under a blanket with eggnog and candy canes. When...

Many fans argue that the creepy characters and spooky story-line of The Nightmare Before Christmas qualifies it as a Halloween movie.

Countdown to Halloween | Opinion: “Nightmare Before Christmas” is a Halloween movie

Grace Crockett, News Editor October 30, 2023

A family sits down on the couch after a long day of carving pumpkins and decorating for Halloween, and all they want to do is get comfortable and watch a classic spooky movie. When the recommendation of...

Hannah Bielat dressed like a Disney princess for Halloween as a young child. In the mid-2010s, Disney princesses were just one of a variety of popular Halloween costumes.

Countdown to Halloween | The best Halloween costumes from childhood

Sam Bodden, Staff Writer October 24, 2023

Each year kids across the country participate in Halloween festivities, and we are no different. As trends have changed over the years, so have our costume sensibilities. Halloween was a lot more fun as...

There's a reason why Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and "The Monster Mash" are staples at Halloween parties — they are spooky, catchy, and fun. But there are plenty of other songs that fall into these categories that should become household Halloween hits as well (album artwork courtesy of Arista Records, Epic Records, Motown Records, Walt Disney Records, Decca Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Darkroom/Interscope Records, and Caroline Records)

Countdown to Halloween | Top 10 Halloween songs

Leylah Moreno, Artistic Director October 20, 2023

Halloween music often gets overshadowed by the more saturated market of Christmas music, but whether you are looking for something to listen to at your costume party or simply embracing the atmosphere...

There are a multitude of scary and creepy games to play, but these five horror games are bound to make you jump in terror while you play.

Countdown to Halloween | Top 5 horror games

Paulina Borowski, Marketing Director October 19, 2023

While movies are a great way to get into the spooky season, some prefer a more interactive approach. Many fire up their gaming computers and consoles, dim the lights and play a good scary game. There are...

"Friday the 13th" is one of the most famous horror franchises, but the quality of the movies has varied over the years in some dramatic ways.

Countdown to Halloween | Watching “Friday the 13th” feels like being stuck in a time loop that gets progressively worse

Maggie Demski, Staff Writer October 13, 2023

Editor’s Note: This review contains spoilers from this famous movie franchise  “Friday the 13th,” is a series almost everyone on the planet has at least heard of. Is it because the series drastically...

Load More Stories