Adam Bramburger
Beaver Staff
Families seeking some thrills and chills for Halloween may wish to head to the agricultural buildings at the Napanee Fairgrounds Saturday evening for Lennox and Addington 4-H’s Spooktacular evening.
This year, the association had an events planning club, which was tasked with taking on fundraising efforts and community events. After hosting a successful Easter Extravaganza in the spring, the club members set their focus on Halloween and worked to build something interesting for the community.
“It was supposed to be a Halloween party, but it just got bigger and bigger,” said club leader Bridget Poole. “Everyone has a different aspect about Halloween they love and we incorporated a lot of them.”
Over the summer, the 4-H participants held meetings to discuss food, decorations, costumes, and activities they could realistically add to the mix. Each was responsible for a different aspect of the night.
“It’s part of the mantra of ‘learning to do by doing,’” added fellow leader Nan Keyes.
Visitors can expect to see 24 different activity booths between the hours of 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Poole said there is something for every age group and interest. Among the events are “guess the villain” trivia, a haunted barn maze, face painting, glitter tattoos, a fortune teller, hay rides, a corn box filled with unexpected items, children’s crafts, bowling, golf, and more. Several carnival games will also be available, like “pin the wart on the witch.”
Poole said the haunted barn should be something to see as there will be fog, lighting effects, and a wide range of Halloween curiosities. Simcoe Street resident Bill Stanley, who often has an impressive display at his home, graciously loaned the 4-H participants some of his collection to add to the display.
During the event, there will be a children’s costume contest. Those between ages 0-5 will be judged at 6 p.m., those from 6-10 will be at 7 p.m. and 11-15 at 8 p.m.
Admission to Spooktacular is $5. The 4-H Association will also hold a canteen and bake sale to raise money, which will be used to support youth programming in the county.