Local Halloween activities slated for the weekend

Local activities this weekend are sure to get families in the Halloween spirit.

The annual "Trick or Treat on Main Street" event, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Scott PRIDE organization, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday in downtown Fort Scott.

The event includes the traditional Halloween parade, a long-standing local Halloween tradition sponsored by PRIDE, and other activities that organizers added last year -- including a costume contest and free hot dog lunch -- to attract more people and create a larger community event.

FSACC Executive Director Lindsay Madison said the addition of the extra activities proved to be beneficial. Organizers ran out of food last year during the hot dog lunch.

"We served about 150 (hot dogs) last year to kids in costume," Madison said. "We were overwhelmed with the turnout. It was great."

The event features the downtown parade, which is open to local youth, a costume contest with prizes awarded to winners in various categories, and a free "Hallo-Weinie" hot dog lunch for kids dressed in costumes.

Local youth are invited to meet at 11 a.m. at Skubitz Plaza where Fort Scott Middle School and Fort Scott High School PRIDE students will hold a costume contest. Ribbons will be awarded to first, second and third place winners in the following categories: most beautiful, best cartoon character, best historical character, best animal, best sports character and best occupation costume.

Following the costume contest, participants will parade through downtown and may trick-or-treat at local merchants along the way. Parents are welcome to walk with their children in the parade, which will follow a route south on Main Street to Second Street, then west to National Avenue, north to Wall Street, east to Main Street and back to Skubitz Plaza.

FSMS and FSHS PRIDE students will judge the costumes and will also accompany children in the parade.

After the parade, hot dogs, chips and drinks will be served to youth in costume. The free "Hallo-Weinie" lunch is being sponsored by Peerless Products and organized by the chamber.

Youth of all ages are welcome to participate in the parade and costume contest. However, children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information, contact the chamber at (620) 223-3566.

Also on tap for Saturday are a variety of Halloween-themed activities scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Ave.

Local youth can participate in a "Creepy Crawly Crafts" activity from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at a cost of $1 per person. Various kids games will be offered free of charge from 9 to 10 a.m.

A pumpkin carving contest is slated to take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. There will be a $2 fee per pumpkin for this event. A costume contest, which is free, will conclude the morning's activities at 11:30 a.m.

At noon, prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners in various categories of the costume contest and the pumpkin carving contest. The categories are the same for both contests -- scariest, most unusual, and funniest.

Free drinks and snacks will be provided throughout the morning.

Fort Scott Recreation Director Tom Robertson said this is the second annual Halloween event at the center. Robertson said he appreciates the support of area businesses that have donated prizes for the contests, and the FSMS PRIDE group, which is helping with the event by providing volunteers.