Published: October 24, 2009 10:53 pm      

Plenty going on this Halloween

Scary tactics await kids and adults alike

Want to eat some bugs or jump out of your skin?

For those who dare to answer in the affirmative, scary experiences abound in Cass and surrounding counties this Halloween. There are haunted hay rides, houses and corn mazes in store for thrill seekers young, old and in between.

Samantha Fox of Foxyz Entertainment promises that the fairies on the haunted trail through Lee’s Woods in Carroll County will frighten even the most hardened Halloween junkie when the creatures fly from the darkness.

“I’m telling you what, they are scary,” said Fox, who admitted the name doesn’t evoke a terrorizing image.

The main attraction is the trail, but Fox didn’t stop there. For Friday and Saturday night, she has set up ghoul gladiator fights, slime wrestling, face painting, a disc jockey and Fear Factor games that involve eating hissing cockroaches.

The incentive to crunch into the large insects is a pair of passes to Dave & Buster’s in Indianapolis and other prizes.

The haunted woods is seven miles south of Logansport on 450N east of Ind. 29 in Deer Creek. Gates open at 5 p.m. and close at 3 a.m. The cost is $8 at the gate, but group rates are available and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Emmaus Mission Center.

Thursday, they will conduct a makeup night from dusk until 3 a.m. with all ages welcome.

“Hopefully it’s a good time for everybody, and it’s for a good cause,” Fox said.

Call (574) 702-1281 or (574) 343-0748 for directions and other information.

This is the 10th year for Sleepy Hollow Haunted Hayrides at 1591N 50E north of Logansport. Adults and children willing to brave the darkness can pay $8 to travel along the path where ghosts and ghouls lurk. Rides last from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight and from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Other events for children include BOO-Fest from 1 to 3 p.m. today at Riverside Park. Kids are encouraged to dress for the Monster Mash costume contest and enjoy the other activities.

On Monday, the Cass County YMCA has scheduled games, face painting and goodies for those who come dressed up for Halloween.

The most traditional part of the Halloween holiday begins Thursday with trick or treating.

Participating merchants will hand out treats to costumed trick-or-treaters during the Downtown Spooktacular starting at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in downtown Logansport. The Spooktacular will be followed by the Elks Halloween Parade.

Starting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, kids can gather treats at the Logansport Mall.

Trick or treating in the city of Logansport is permitted from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Children and the parents accompanying them should look for homes with a porch or outside light on.

The staff and residents of Camelot Care Center, 1555 Commerce St., will be welcoming trick-or-treaters both Friday and Saturday.

At least two local churches are planning Halloween events. River of Life Christian Church, 130 Mall Road, is having a “Trunks of Treats” event in the parking lot from 4 to 6 p.m. Halloween night.

The same day, St. James Lutheran Church at 430 Ninth St. has a “Trunk or Treat” scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m.

Also on Saturday is Boo!Fest at Walton Public Library, 110 N. Main St. Kids 12 and under who come in wearing a costume will bag treats from local merchants and non-profit organizations.

• Kevin Lilly is news editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at 574-732-5117 or kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com.