AGAWAM – It’s that time of the year again – spooky season. The air is crisp, pumpkin spice lattes decorate every coffee shop and horror movie specials are in full swing. With Halloween around the corner, it’s only fitting that Dustin Pari of “Ghost Hunters” and “Ghost Hunters International” is coming to Agawam to talk about his paranormal experiences in New England.

Pari will present his lecture, Spirits of New England, at the Agawam Public Library. As a New England native, his presentation will chronicle some of his favorite New England investigations, as well as a bit of local history. The presentation will take place on Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s Community Room.

“Spirits of New England is a new lecture – I debuted it just at the end of last year. This year, I’ve already revamped it and added two more local investigations,” he said. “I only speak about the cases that I’ve done personally here. New England is so rich in these kinds of things, so I want to talk about my own personal experiences and connections.”

The paranormal investigator plans to talk about his encounters with Lizzie Borden, the infamous Massachusetts woman accused of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892 with an axe; the New London Ledge Lighthouse of Connecticut, allegedly home to one of the most distinctive ghosts – a former keeper known as “Ernie” – in the region; and the “Red-Headed Hitchhiker” of Route 44 in Rehoboth, MA.

Pari added that the “Red-Headed Hitchhiker” is one of his “favorite stories.” As legend has it, the spirit can be found hitchhiking on Route 44 at the edge of Rehoboth and on edge of Seekonk. The nameless ghost generally looks like a redheaded, bearded man wearing a red flannel shirt and jeans, according to numerous accounts. The spirit has been described as having an athletic build, standing at around 6-feet-tall. Sometimes he is well kept, and other times he appears disheveled with dirty pants and an un-tucked shirt.

There are 78 spaces available for Pari’s presentation, which is sponsored by the Agawam Center Library Association. Registration is required through the Agawam Public Library.

Pari’s curiosity about the supernatural dates back to when he was nine years old. He was at his home in Providence, RI and was confronted by a tall shadow figure, he recounted.  

“I witnessed what we would categorize as a shadow figure. Usually they’re either around 6-feet-tall or around 3-feet-tall – this one was one of the tall ones,” said Pari. “I saw it one night in the doorway of my bedroom – everyone else was awake and the lights were on. It scared me to death. I said my prayers and waited for it to go away, but it gave me the idea  to look into these things.”

Pari started checking out books from his local library. By the time he was an adult, he was conducting his own investigations with his friends after work. Pari told Reminder Publishing he would set up audio recorders and video cameras around local haunted hotspots.

What started as a hobby soon landed him a position on the popular television series “Ghost Hunters.” Pari accompanied his cast members, including Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, as they traveled around the country to investigate renowned haunted locations and sightings.

Pari also had the chance to work with “Ghost Hunters International,” in which he was offered the opportunity to explore global locations.

“It was weird for me – I went from being the camera man to the person being filmed. That was the biggest juxtaposition for me,” said Pari. “I was very blessed to be a part of the ‘Ghost Hunters International’ program because it allowed me to travel for the better part of two years. We were checking out old castles and places I never would’ve had the financial means to travel to or gain access to.”

Although the SyFy television show has since retired, Pari fills his time balancing his day job, which is in healthcare, and delivering presentations and motivational speeches across the country. Not only does he do paranormal presentations, but he does motivation and religious talks as well.

Pari advises that anyone looking to get into the field “should be in a good place spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally” before conducting an investigation of their own.

“If you’re run down or tired, it’s not always in your best interest to do this kind of stuff,” he said. “From a physical standpoint, a lot of these places can be very large buildings and in the dark. You don’t want to chance falling in the dark or open yourself up to spiritual things if you’re not completely on your game. Regardless of what type of faith anybody has, it’s important to have a strong foundation because you never know what might be out there.”

The paranormal expert’s next presentation, Halloween: A Haunted History, is scheduled for Oct. 3 in North Attleboro, MA at the Richards Memorial Library.  For more information about his upcoming events, head over to http://www.dustinpari.com/.

To register for his Agawam presentation, contact Wendy McAnanama at wmcananama@agawamlibrary.org.