Halloween happenings this weekend
Lots of fun planned for the whole family
Halloween is Sunday, and there is plenty of fun planned for families over the weekend throughout Humboldt County. Parties, costume contests, haunted houses, roller skating, trickor-treating and more are scheduled, with COVID-19 safety protocols in place at each event.
Here’s a look at some of the Halloween events for children taking place Friday through Sunday:
Plaza Party
Shoshanna, Arcata’s Halloween Fairy, will host a “Plaza Party” Sunday on the Plaza for this year’s Arcata Main Street downtown Halloween celebration.
There will be a Sunday Art Market from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring local artists, school fundraisers, games, photo opportunities and limited trick-or-treating downtown. Costumes are encouraged and everyone who attends needs to wear a face mask as part of COVID-19 protocols.
A “Plaza Halloween Roller Skate Party” is also planned from noon to 4 p.m. with live and DJ music. Scooters and roller skates are welcome at this event.
Haunted house
A “Haunted House Festival” will be held Sunday from 2 to 8:30 p.m. at Hensel’s Ace Hardware, 884 Ninth St. in Arcata. Minor Theater is the event cosponsor.
There’ll be free carnival games, face painting, pumpkin painting and a tie dye T-shirt area for kids from 2 to 6 p.m., with a family dance party from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. A free allages haunted house is also planned. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be free to all.
Costume contest
CUNA, along with Ciencia Para Todos, invites the community to enjoy “Las Calabazas Embrujadas” on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at Carlson Park off Giuntoli Lane in Arcata. Local entrepreneurs will be selling food and goodies, and there will be a costume contest, haunted house, pumpkin painting, a petting zoo and more. Dia de los Muertos ofrenda supplies will be available. Face masks are required.
Trick-or-treat
Trick-or-treating is planned Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. at downtown Blue Lake businesses. Maps of participating businesses are available at Blue Lake City Hall or the Blue Lake
Community Resource Center. This event is open to the community.
‘Boo at the Zoo’
“Boo at the Zoo” is set for Sunday starting at noon at the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka. This year’s event will feature candy stations, a spooky science lab, an “Animal Pumpkin Stomp & Chomp” and more. The candy stations will begin at noon and run while supplies last.
This is a regular admission day at the zoo. Face masks are required for all visitors regardless of vaccination status, whether indoors or outdoors. This is in addition to any costume mask. Social distancing and frequent hand washing are encouraged, and hand sanitizer stations are located throughout the zoo.
‘Booth Town’
Faith Center Foursquare Church will host “Bay Street Booth Town” Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. at 1032 Bay St., Eureka. This family friendly event will feature folks dressed up as various movie characters. There will also be lots of games and plenty of candy, cotton candy and popcorn on hand.
‘Halloweekend’
Eureka Main Street is celebrating “Halloweekend” with a variety of events planned Friday through Sunday in downtown and Old Town Eureka.
The “Great Pumpkin Hunt,” a replacement for the annual trick-or-treat event in downtown and Old Town Eureka, will begin Friday and run through Sunday, each day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Decorated pumpkins with unique names will be displayed in storefront windows. Youth ages 18 and under can pick up a participation form at the Eureka Visitor Center, at 240 E St., and begin searching for pumpkins. Once they have located a predetermined number of pumpkins they can return their forms to the Eureka Visitor Center to receive a treat bag. The Eureka Visitor Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Tuesday, a Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) event is planned on the Gazebo, at Second and F streets in Eureka, from 4 to 8 pm. This cultural celebration honors loved ones who have passed with alters set up around the Gazebo, music, food, and flamenco dancers.
For more information visit eurekamainstreet.org or call 707-441-4187.
‘Skate Night’
“Halloween Skate Night” is set for Friday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Eureka Municipal Auditorium, 1120 F St. The cost is $5.25 for adults and $4.75 for youth. Capacity is limited to 30 people. Face masks are required at all times (costume masks not a substitute). Call 707-441-4248 to pre-register.
Trick-or-treat
A “Drive Through Trickor-Treat” event is set for Sunday starting at 5 p.m. outside of First Covenant Church of Eureka, 2526 J St. Everyone is welcome to stop by, drive through several scenes featuring folks dressed up in costume, vote for their favorite scene and then receive a candy bag. The event runs until 6:30 p.m., or until the church runs out of candy bags.
‘Trunk-or-treat’
“Trunk-or-Treat” is planned Saturday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Sequoia Humane Society, 6073 Loma Ave. Coloring books and sealed treats will be ready for children and friendly dogs. Costumes are encouraged.
This month, Sequoia Humane Society is also hosting a costume contest. The contest is open to children, adults, cats and dogs. A “best costume” winner will be selected from each category by staff and board members. The fee is $5 per entry at t.ly/tCG1, then email photos to sequoiahumane.eureka@gmail. com, or stop by “Trunk-orTreat” and a Sequoia Humane Society staffer will your photo.
Social distancing and masking are required for
children ages 2 and older. There’ll be limited capacity at this event.
Trick-or-treat
A “Drive-By Trick-orTreat” event is planned on Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Humboldt Grange, 5845 Humboldt Hill Road in Eureka. Grange members will be handing out treats at the back door to all who drive by. Costumes are encouraged. For more information, call Kathy at 707-4980801.
‘Spook-a-Thon’
Fortuna Parks and Recreation is hosting a free, “Spook-a-Thon” for children 10 and under Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. at Rohner Park.
To participate, kids pick up a reusable goodie bag at a check-in table, then take a walk around Scenic Loop and collect treats from booths. Carnival games, a spooky tunnel and costume photo booth are also part of the fun. Everyone must wear masks (costume masks not a substitute) and practice social distancing. Hand sanitizer will be available at this event.
A pumpkin carving contest for all ages is also being held as part of the “Spooka-Thon.” Pick up a pumpkin at the Rohner Park office today or Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Drop off carved pumpkins at Rohner Park Sunday from noon to 2:30 p.m. for judging. Prizes will be awarded in different age categories.
‘Trunk-or-treat’
The Fortuna Downtown Business Association will host a trick-or-treating event, “Trunk-or-Treat” Friday
from 3 to 5 p.m. along Main Street. Children 12 and under should be in costume and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate.
Haunted house
Teen filmmaker Griffin Loch’s “Scream-A-Torium Haunted House” — at 1122 Main St. in Fortuna — is open Friday and Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Parental discretion is suggested after 6 p.m.) COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place throughout the event.
To purchase tickets for the Scream-A-Torium haunted house, go to screamatoriumhaunt.com. Adult and child tickets are available, with prices ranging from $5 to $20. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Fortuna Volunteer Fire Department.
Costume contest
Fieldbrook Valley Apple Farms, 336 Rock Pit Road in McKinleyville, is hosting a costume contest Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Folks are invited to show up in a Halloween costume and get their picture taken. Three winners will be chosen at the end of the day, with their images posted on Facebook. Prizes will be awarded. Face masks are required, and everyone should bring a bag for apple picking.
Trick-or-treat
The Southern Humboldt Chamber of Commerce will present Halloween costume contest and trick-or-treating Friday from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sign up for the costume contest at 3 p.m.
at Jacob Garber Square, 782 Redwood Drive in Garberville. Prizes will be offered in various age categories. Also, trick-or-treating will be held at Garberville businesses.
A “Zombie Dance Performance” will follow the costume contest.
Trick-or-treat
Dow’s Prairie Grange will offer a free “DriveThru Trick-or-Treat” event for children 12 and under Sunday from 4 to 6:30 p.m. This is a replacement for what would have been the grange’s 23rd year hosting an annual Halloween carnival for McKinleyville kids.
Children are encouraged to dress in costume. Parents can follow the oneway arrows to pull in front of the grange for children to pick up treat bags offered by grange members. No one needs to exit a vehicle and children need to be in the vehicle with a parent to receive a treat bag.
Community members are encouraged to drop off a canned food or other nonperishable donation to support the grange’s holiday food basket program for those in need.
The Dow’s Prairie Grange is located at 3995 Dow’s Prairie Road. For more information, call 707840-0100.
Halloween fun
Hayrides will be available in Shelter Cove from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and there will be “truck-or-treating” at the Lighthouse at Mal Coombs Park. A Halloween costume contest is planned at Gyppo Ale Mill from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
HSU runners claim conference honors
Humboldt State runners Rosa Granados and Saedy Williamson finished the CCAA conference meet with conference honors after making the meet’s top 15.
Williamson and Granados finished in the San Marcos meet placing eighth and 10th respectively in the women’s 6K race.
Williamson recorded a 21:17.7 finish, while eligible postgrad runner Granados posted a 21:23 finish.
Kaela Dision of Stanislaus State took the women’s race, clocking in a winning 20:41.7 time.
Overall HSU’s women placed sixth overall, trailing regional rivals Stanislaus and Chico State.
HSU coach Jamey Harris praised his runners’ efforts.
“I am really proud of the way we competed,” he said. “We had several women (earn personal records) by over a minute, so I am pleased with the result, but what was really impressive today was the effort. Everyone dug deep and fought for every place, right to the finish line.”