Egg Haunt, Pumpkin Patch Trail Are in Cullowhee This Year [Thurs. Oct. 25, Sat. Oct. 27]

The Pumpkin Patch Trail, Jackson County's annual Halloween event for children ages 12 and under, will be set against new scenery this year, and will take place on the Saturday a few days before Halloween arrives.

On the Saturday prior to Halloween (Oct. 27) at 6 p.m., local ghosts, goblins and witches ages 12 or under are invited to trek through a trick-or-treat trail at Cullowhee's Jackson County Recreation Complex (the Rec Center), with a rain date of Tuesday, Oct. 30.

The trail will include 15 to 20 decorated booths at which volunteers from area churches and businesses will provide the treats. Non-food items also will be available. The event continues until candy or people run out, which usually happens around 8 p.m. Lines are expected when the trail opens at 6, so it might be smart to arrive around 7 instead.

Why the Change in Location

The Jackson County Recreation/Parks Department says the change in location is needed partly because crowds have grown so large in the traditional location (the neighborhood between St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Church of Christ, just off of Grindstaff Cove Road in Sylva).

The new location also means parking should be easier, explained event coordinator Dora Caldwell: spaces will be available at the recreation center and at nearby Cullowhee Valley School.

But more importantly, kids should have as much fun at the new location because the trail will include dozens of carved illuminated pumpkins just like last year (they are prepared by the recreation/parks department) and the same kinds and quality of candy (paid for by the recreation department, as in past years) will be distributed by volunteers at a number of decorated booths. The outdoor location at the recreation center will have about as many booths as the number of houses that participated in last year's trail in the Sylva neighborhood.

Another Fun Opportunity for Kids Occurs on Thursday Night

Another event for kids sponsored by the Recreation/Parks Department is the annual Halloween Egg Haunt on Thursday Oct. 25 beginning at 7 p.m., also at the Rec Center.

Parents can bring kids as early as 7 p.m., when judges will begin judging costumes. Prizes will be awarded for 2 age groups.

Black-and-orange candy-filled plastic eggs will be hidden for kids to find. The egg hunt (officially called the "haunt") begins at 7:30. Flashlights are encouraged.

The Halloween Egg Haunt is temporarily being held this year at the recreation center rather than its traditional location at Mark Watson Park due to a construction project currently underway on a road at Mark Watson Park.

On Halloween night, of course, kids and their parents might visit traditional locations. For those who come into Sylva, the Downtown Sylva Association is encouraging downtown businesses to be open to trick-or-treaters on Wednesday evening (Oct. 31).

For More Information

If you have questions about about the Pumpkin Patch Trail or the Halloween Egg Haunt, Ms. Caldwell can be reached at the recreation center at 293-3053.