Community Corner
Halloween Family Night Promises Frightfully Good Fun
Weekly musings from Jeff Long, public relations director with the Fox Valley Park District.
Is Halloween your favorite holiday?
Ask around, and you’re likely to get a lot of “yes” votes to that question. Halloween is not just trick-or-treat night but a season of celebration that begins when the leaves change colors, and goes through early November (or until the pumpkins are smashed).
Halloween falls on a Monday this year, and that’s a good thing, because it extends the weekend. In fact, the Fox Valley Park District is giving us an early start when it hosts Halloween Family Night next Friday (Oct. 28) at the Prisco Community Center.
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That’s followed up by the final two days (Oct. 29-30) of Pumpkin Weekends at Blackberry Farm, and then the month’s capper, Halloween, on Monday.
So for those of you who revel in these ghoulishly good times, you’re looking at a four-day weekend of spook-tacular fun.
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Halloween Family Night runs from 6 to 8 p.m. next Friday, when the Prisco Center is turned into a haunted house full of friendly fun-seekers.
It’s a great time to test out that new costume in advance of the big night. The night’s activities are highlighted by a costume contest, when guests will be paraded on the Prisco stage to strut their scary stuff.
The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m., and – especially for the younger set – it will be two hours of sensory sensations. Children age 2 and up are welcome (children must be accompanied by an adult), and all those age 12 and under will receive goodie bags.
Admission is $10 per resident family of four and $15 per non-resident family of four.
A Halloween-themed movie – and fresh popcorn made right there from an old-fashioned popper cart –will be part of the scene. A haunted house will “welcome” visitors as well.
“Nothing too scary,” said performing arts supervisor Kyle Donahue. “We’re mostly expecting young children here, so we’re making everything family-friendly.”
That will include scooter races, creepy crafts and wacky games, such as Halloween-style bowling that will involve ghosts and pumpkins, and fishing in a kettle of witch’s brew.
A little science will be involved, too – spooky science. Think ice balloons, food coloring and monster’s eyeballs. That’s enough to send chills.
An added bonus to the evening will be the announcement of winner’s for the Park District’s fourth annual Halloween decorating contest. For those residents in Aurora, North Aurora and Montgomery who entered the contest, their decorated homes were judged this week. The winners will be awarded valuable gift cards from local businesses, but need not be present to win.
It’s all lining up to be a frightfully delightful weekend. Step aside, 4th of July – I think Halloween is my new favorite day of the year.
Jeff Long is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District. Contact him at jlong@fvpd.net
