Costumes, candy, "Thriller" and a haunted house - Halloween has returned to Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester.

On Saturday, residents of Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester came out for a variety of early holiday festivities.

In Marion, kids of all ages dressed up with Gateway Youth Hockey players for some ice skating at Tabor Academy's Ice Rink.

After that, thrill seekers lined up for a tour through "Nightmare at 13 Atlantis Drive," a haunted house at the former YSI building hosted by the Marion Recreation Department.

With more than 25 volunteers and many donations from community members, the Recreation Department staff transformed the building into a who's who of Halloween characters, graveyards, asylums and a meat shop with more than a few questionable items on the menu.

The tour also included a dance performance of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" by the Adagio Arts and Wellness Center dance team.

The whole thing took several weeks to plan, but Recreation Department Administrative Assistant Donna Hemphill said it was worth every minute.

"I think it's been building for a while. Seeing everything in action, from the dancers to the strobe lights, it's exciting," Hemphill said.

The event was held as a fundraiser for the Recreation Department's programs. Hemphill added that she would like to see it as an annual Halloween event for the town.

Rochester also got in the spirit with Plumb Corner Mall's annual trick-or-treating party.

As for Mattapoisett, the town's Public Library started the holiday off a few days early with a scarecrow contest.

The celebration will continue in Marion and Mattapoisett on Halloween this Wednesday with town parades, but plans could be upset by Hurricane Sandy. Marion Recreation cancelled its second night of the haunted house on Sunday due to Sandy.

Be sure to check back in with Sippican.VillageSoup for updates and cancellation notices.

For more scenes from the pre-Halloween festivities, check out the photo gallery.