Courtesy Photo Truck with all the candy donated by local businesses for the 2020 Pacific County Trunk or Treat event.
This year there will be a Halloween event at the Pacific County Fairgrounds put on in partnership with the Teen Advocacy Coalition and Pacific Events District, so if you are looking for a child-friendly activity to do this year go to the Harvest Festival. Unlike last year, this event is not a drive-thru event and will be held rain or shine.
The event runs Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30 starting at 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Local food and craft vendors will be available both days of the event. Admission is free.
Some of the fun activities include face painting, pumpkin decorating, and a costume contest. A Trunk or Treat will take place on Saturday, October 30 at 5:30 p.m. and will last until the candy supply runs out.
Volunteers have decorated the stalls in the Cursed Horse Barn. This attraction is designed to have visitors walk through the lit pathway and delight in scares like a haunted house. As a warning this may be too scary for some of the younger children since it is geared toward scaring adults.
If you need a ride to the Harvest Festival, the Pacific Transit is running a special route on both days to the event. Bus passes can be picked up at Alder & Co. in Raymond and at Elixir in South Bend.
The Harvest Festival Planning Committee has worked hard at creating a safe pro-social event. The committee members include Crystal Singletary and Jess Yearout, co-founders of Pacific County Trunk or Treat; Jeff Karnatz, Katie Auble, and Della Hale of Pacific Events District; and Denise Rowlett, coordinator for Teen Advocacy Coalition.
Singletary and Yearout worked to bring some normalcy to the community children in 2020 during Halloween after the kids had been isolated due to COVID-19 lockdowns. They organized last year's Pacific County Trunk or Treat and had over 800 people attending the Pacific County Trunk or Treat. That was the spark that inspired this year's Harvest Festival.
"We hope people will show up, have fun, and make memories with their family and friends," said the Harvest Festival Planning Committee in a joint statement. "We hope for this to be a sustainable event for years to come. We'd like to make sure to thank our sponsors: Pacific County Teen Advocacy Coalition; Weyerhaeuser Raymond Lumbermill; Colburn Timber, Inc.; Dennis Company; Great Northwest Federal Credit Union; Thorbeckes; Pacific Eye Clinic; Pioneer Grocery; Rockett Financial; Sunlight Massages; and Fibre Federal Credit Union. This event wouldn't be possible without the amazing support of our local businesses!"