October packed with family-friendly activities

October is spooky month, and in Mineral County there are hordes of family-friendly activities to explore. Whether it’s geared toward little goblins and ghouls, or costume-clad teenagers, all along I-90 Halloween festivities are ripe for the picking this fall.

Back for its second year, the Black Diamond Guest Ranch in DeBorgia, is hosting its fall Pumpkin Festival. Come enjoy the ranch and pick out your favorite pumpkin. The ranch is open Thursday through Saturday, 1-6 p.m. each week for the month of October. They are also open by appointment, last year several school groups were able to come out and enjoy the pumpkin patch as field trips. Games, refreshments, and hay rides, will be available.

At the east end of the county, the Alberton Fall Carnival is on Friday, Oct. 21, from 3-5 p.m. at the Alberton School. There will be free games, a costume contest, and prizes. A cake walk fundraiser will be held for the PEAK foundation. A special feature is the Haunted Hallway, with a $2 entry fee to support the 7th grade class in Alberton.

The 2nd Annual St. Regis Fall Festival will be held once again on Tiger Street on Oct.r 28, from 3-5 p.m. with a carnival, and trunk or treat. If you plan on decking out your SUV or car and bringing it for the trunk or treating, please arrive by 2:30 p.m. so the road can be safely closed by the start time. These festivities will be followed by the Scare Crow Row judging on Highway 135 at 5:00 p.m. Then come share dinner with neighbors and friends at the Harvest Dinner and Dance at the St. Regis Community Center to wrap up the evening at. 6 p.m.

Also happening Oct. 28, for the older thrill-seekers and trick-or-treaters, the Superior High School Business Professionals of America is hosting a Halloween Fair, at the Mineral County Library in Superior. The free event will take place from 2-5 p.m. and will feature a haunted hallway, candy of course, and a bake sale.

Co-Presidents, Abigail Wheeler and Lane DiGiando came up with the frighteningly fun idea, as a fundraiser for BPA and a requirement of the student group. DiGiando explained, “The main intent of the Halloween Fair is community service, but any proceeds or donations produced will help to fund sending our BPA chapter to district and state Leadership Conferences.”

Wheeler and DiGiando are currently working on purchasing and gathering the supplies and decorations for the event. You can expect some scary Halloween characters in the Haunted Hallway. She mentioned, “I don’t think this kind of event has ever been done at the library, it should be the first of its kind.

“The location is ideal and I am also thankful for the help of our librarians like Florence Evans,” shared DiGiando. “The best part of the Haunted Hallway experience is all the spooky sounds, smells, and sights which can be very thrilling and entertaining. I personally have memories from all these aspects of a haunted house from when I was in the third grade. It was so much fun.”

Lastly on Halloween, Oct. 31, the Friends of the Mineral County Public Library in Superior is inviting everyone out to the library lawn for crafts, candy, and trunk or treating at 5 p.m. With all these events your kids stockpile of Laffy Taffys and Kit Kats should be good well into November.