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Sponsors sought for Haunted Halloween Weekend

Courtesy Photo The Harrisville State Park will host its seventh annual Haunted Halloween Weekend later this month and the park still has openings for business sponsorships.

HARRISVILLE — The Harrisville State Park is hosting its seventh annual Haunted Halloween Weekend, and there is still time for local businesses to participate.

Parks and Recreation Supervisor Eric Ostrander started the event when he first came to the Harrisville park as a way to increase activity during the slower fall season while providing a community-based event.

“The community is excited, and it is exciting for businesses, too,” Ostrander said. “The businesses in town appreciate the campers.”

The event is free to the public, the only thing they need is a current recreation passport on their license plates to enter. Ostrander said it is one of the few state park Halloween events open to the public, not just campers. He said it is a last hoorah for fall, and there are a variety of activities from games to trick-or-treating.

The bulk of the event will take place on Oct. 13, with kids games from 2 to 4 p.m. and trick-or-treating from 5 to 6 p.m. In the evening, the big event is the haunted hayride. During the hayride, people are taken through a variety of campsites that have been decorated by the park and local businesses for a spooky experience. Ostrander said some of his staff members start working on decorations after Labor Day.

This year, the park is asking riders to vote on the best decorations. After the hayride, there will be a campfire with free snacks and drinks as well as a ballot box for riders to vote. The winner will be the lead sponsor for the event next year, which means all advertising for the 2019 event will include the winning business name, and there is no cost or obligation to participate in the following year.

Ostrander said there is still room for more local businesses or groups if they would like to decorate a campsite, which is at no cost. Officials also are accepting donations to be used in their prize giveaways and are seeking volunteers to help during the event.

Ostrander said community support is an integral part of putting on the Halloween event.

“It’s a big weekend,” Ostrander said, “and we wouldn’t be able to run this with just my staff.”

There will also be a prize for best decorated campsite among the campers. A secret judge from the community will walk around to check out the campers who have decorated their sites. All winners for the campsite contests will be announced at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Ostrander asks that any businesses that would like to participate contact him by Friday so plans can be coordinated. Businesses that participate will receive a tombstone with the businesses contact information, and it will be placed in the park graveyard during the event.

Contact Eric Ostrander at 989-724-5126 to become a sponsor for the event.

Kaitlin Ryan can be reached at kryan@thealpenanews.com or at 358-5693.

If you go

∫ WHAT: Haunted Halloween Weekend

∫ WHERE: Harrisville State Park

∫ WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 13

∫ TIME: Kids games 2-4 p.m.; trick-or-treating 5-6 p.m.

∫ ADMISSION: Free to the public, must have park sticker

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