Halloween happenings

(Updated Oct. 27, 2022)

By Ethan Nahté

Halloween is on a Monday this year, and Polk County has plenty of events that night as well as throughout the weekend leading up to All Hallow’s Eve.

Free events

The Janssen Park Treat Trail that was scheduled on Saturday, Oct. 29., has been canceled. Instead, they will join The Ouachitas at the Halloween District on Martin Street that afternoon, from 4-6 p.m. to hand out candy. The Ouachitas announced Friday afternoon that most of their events will be moved indoors due to potential bad weather. Trick-or-treating will still be outdoors unless the weather becomes bad. If so, the trick-or-treating will. be indoors. Times remain the same.

Candy will also be handed out at RE/MAX Halloween Day until 5:30 p.m. or when they run out.

The First United Methodist Church at 501 Ninth St. in Mena is having a free Trunk-or-Treat event on Halloween, beginning at 4:30 p.m. and lasting until 6, giving out candy and stickers to the kids. See their ad on p. 16 of this week’s Pulse.

Faith’s Falltastic Festival is at Faith Missionary Baptist Church, 2407 Sutherland Ave. on Saturday, Oct. 29, 5-8 p.m. It includes Hobo stew, hot dogs, a pumpkin hunt, games, hayrides and more.

Sweet-n-Salty, next to the car wash in front of Walmart in Mena, will have festivities Saturday, Oct. 29, beginning at 6 p.m. There will be a costume contest, popcorn, hot chocolate and candy. The first 25 people get a prize. If it rains on Saturday, the event will be moved to Halloween night. See their ad on p. 16 of this week’s Pulse.

Daylight trick-or-treating will begin at Hatfield businesses starting at 4 p.m. on Halloween. Then families can make their way to Light the Night 2022 on Halloween night, sponsored by area businesses and churches. Games, food, a hayride and prizes for both a costume and a pumpkin decorating contest will be part of the fun at the Hatfield City Park from 5-7 p.m. Bring your pumpkin ready to be judged.

The community is invited to join UARM Bucks Softball & #BucksBaseball at McMillan Park for trick or Treating at the Ballpark on Halloween! There will be candy, games, & a costume contest.

Ross-Tunnell American Legion Post 249 Halloween Dance 5-10 p.m., Oct. 28, 177 Hwy. 278 East, in Wickes. Trunk-or-Treat for kids 18 and under. Hot dogs/Chips/drink $5. Donations welcome.

Raindancer Car Wash in Cove is having a Trunk-or-Treat Oct. 31, 4-8 p.m.

Vaultoberfest is happening at The Coffee Vault from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 29 and 31. Trunk-or-treat is from 4-6 p.m. Halloween only with games, treats, vendors and more. Also see their Pumpkin Patch weekdays, noon-6 and during Vaultoberfest.

C&C Signworks, located in Old Dallas in the cabin on corner of Polk 44 and Hwy. 375 East, will not only be giving out candy, but also serving up hot chili, stew, cornbread and crackers.

Stop by Janssen Ave. Florist and Gifts we will be handing out candy until 6 p.m. on Halloween.

Green House Cottages will be hosting trick-or-treaters on Halloween, 5-7 p.m.or until the candy runs out. They will be blocking off their drive beginning at 4:30 p.m. for safety reasons. The entrance will be on Geyer, behind the post office.

The Cove Revival Center Church, located at 229 Polk Road 288, will have a trunk-or-treat from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Rocky Mercantile and Bait Shop will have a trunk-or-treat, starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Paid events

House of Fear will be haunting the Masonic Lodge at 701 Port Arthur St., across from Janssen Park in Mena, from 6-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 28-29, and Halloween night.  Admission is free for kids 6 and under and $3 for everyone else. The money is a fundraiser, which will be split between The Cub Scouts of America and for a youth scholarship given out by the Lodge.

The Blue: Zip Line & Farm in Ink will have a combination of free and paid events at their Haunted Forest by an Old Graveyard. There will be a pit fire, hot chocolate, marshmallows free of charge from 7-9 p.m. on Oct. 28, 29 and 31. The Zip Line ghoulies will be handing out free candy to kids in costume also from 7-9 on Halloween night only. There will also be haunted graveyard adventure tours in the forest for $3 per person. This is a walking and seated gathering in a secluded wooded area that has reports of haunting. Chairs are included.  The first tours run from 7–7:45 p.m. for ages 7-plus. From 8 p.m.- 12:30 a.m. the scare factor goes up for ages 12-plus. They will be taking groups out every 15 minutes on both tours.

The Elks Lodge on Hwy. 375 East will be having a haunted house ($5) and a hayride ($3) Friday and Saturday from 6-10 p.m. Saturday night only, there will be a costume contest with cash prizes ($10). For the adults-only crowd (21-plus), there will be a Halloween dance with the Judge Parker Band beginning at 8 p.m. and running through the witching hour. See their ad on p. 30 of this week’s Pulse.

Shady Mountain Events Haunted House returns with new additions and more scares from 7-10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, and Saturday, Oct. 29. The cost is $5 per person. They are located just a mile past the Elks Lodge at 428 Hwy. 375 East. Last year, there were plenty of light and a sign to indicate where to turn in. Be careful in the parking lot, we witnessed some visitors who shot out of the haunted house exit and literally ran all the way back to their vehicle.

If you are traveling to the county line of Polk and Sevier, Cossatot Arts and Crafts (CACA) and the De Queen Junior Class will present their first ever haunted house Oct. 28, 29 and 31 from 7-9:30 each evening. Cost will be $10 for ages 12 and up and $5 for those 11 and under.

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