It’s fun-size time, as seen by these treats donated for the annual Friendly Forest all-ages Halloween event hosted by the Jackson Township Fire Department over the next two weekends.
Ghosts and goblins and ghouls … oh my! Halloween falls on the last Thursday of the month this year and is only two weeks away, and there are plenty of local events to mark the occasion.
The official Nashville trick-or-treating planned by the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is on the books from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Halloween. The Brown County Visitor’s Center is also planning to tell scary stories around the fire and sell seasonal desserts from Brownie’s Bean Blossom Restaurant, CVB President Brian Tadlock said. “Pumpkin decals” will also be available at participating businesses.
The origins of Halloween were not as light-hearted and loaded with fun-size candy bars as the current traditions would have us believe. The earliest traces of Halloween can be found within the Celtic festival of Samhain more than 2,000 years ago. The holiday was celebrated Nov. 1 to mark the end of the summer and beginning of winter, which was associated with death. This signified their new year.
Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the living and dead became blurred and spirits could return to Earth. Celts wore costumes typically consisting of animal heads and skins to ward off spirits.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated Nov. 1 as a time to honor saints, known as All Saints Day. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, later transitioning into what we know now as Halloween.
There is deliberation on the origin of trick-or-treating. One theory states that it started during Samhain when Celts would leave out food to appease traveling spirits, and that people later began dressing up as the spirits to receive similar offerings of food and drink. A different theory would have it originating during the Middle Ages with Scottish “guising” — short for disguising and similar to medieval Christian practices of “souling” — where children and poor adults would dress in costume and visit homes to collect food and money, and in return would perform songs, jokes and tricks.
The last theory comes from “belsnickeling” — a German-American Christmas tradition where children dress in costume to see if adults can guess the identities of the disguised. In one version, children were rewarded with treats if they were unidentifiable, according to Library of Congress Blogs.
Whether from Celtic, Scottish or German traditions, modern day Halloween celebrations are hard to beat — especially for Brown County organizations.
For families looking for fall festivities before Halloween, Brown County Parks and Recreation is planning the annual Fall-O-Ween party on Friday starting at 5:30 p.m. with face painting, a bounce house, weenie roasting, popcorn, refreshments and a movie in the park.
“This is a free event and a way to show our appreciation and say thank you to our community for their support of our Department,” Brown County Parks and Recreation Program Specialist Andy Rudd said. While admission is free, donations will be accepted. The park will be showing “Despicable Me 4” beginning at 7:15 p.m.
Other upcoming Brown County Halloween and fall events include:
- Melchior Slightly Haunted Puppet Show at the Brown County Playhouse Friday from noon to 1 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m. Tickets cost $12, kids 2 years old and younger are free.
- Halloween Weekend at Camp Buckwood, 8670 Spearsville Road, Morgantown, Friday through Sunday. Scary-oke on Friday at 8 p.m. and the annual costume party Saturday at 8 p.m.. For more information, contact Camp Buckwood at (812) 597-2450 or online at campbuckwood.com
- Friendly Forest at Jackson Township offers a safe and free trick-or-treat experience from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, as well as Oct. 25 and Oct. 26. The event will be held at the Jackson Township Fire Department (4831 Helmsburg Road). Costumes are encouraged, there will be music, hot dogs, popcorn and hot chocolate along with a lighted trail. Organizers said about 2,000 people came to last year’s event.
- Brown County State Park’s Halloween in the Hills on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a pumpkin carving contest, campsite decorating contest, trick or treat hike and candlelight hike.
- Halloween Extravaganza at Brown County KOA (2248 State Road 46) Oct. 25 through Oct. 27. Saturday is set to have tie-dye, Halloween music bingo, pumpkin carving or painting, a chili cook-off, trick or treat and a movie night.
- The Brown County Democrat’s Haunted History Tour on Oct. 25 from 7 to 8 p.m. in Nashville. Tickets cost $13 for one and $20 for two and can be purchased at the Democrat office.
- Hard Truth’s Sweet Mash Monster Bash kicks off on Oct. 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hard Truth Hills (418 Old State Road 46) with a costume contest, specialty cocktails, live music, s’more making, a kids fun zone and scavenger hunt.
- Trick or Treat on the Trail from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 31 at the Salt Creek Trail. The YMCA is set to provide a shuttle that will take trick or treaters from the YMCA to the CVS.
- Squash the Block: Trick-or-treating is on the books from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Nashville on Oct. 31. Enjoy scary stories by the fire at the Visitor’s Center (211 S. Van Buren Street) and seasonal desserts by Brownie’s Bean Blossom Restaurant. Participating locations are also planning on having pumpkin decals.
