Halloween weekend is almost here, and your ghosts and goblins will have all kinds of chances to get candy this weekend with a lot of activities coming both weekend days.
Emporia’s Dia de los Muertos starts with a parade at 10:30 am in downtown Emporia before adding food, entertainment, crafts and vendors in the 900 block of Commercial. Sally Sanchez of Hispanics of Today and Tomorrow had details on KVOE’s Talk of Emporia this week.
Dia de los Muertos will also include a short film event courtesy of No Coast Film Festival at the Emporia Granada Theatre between 3-4:30 pm.
Emporia Main Street has over 20 downtown businesses participating in its Downtown Trick or Treat event from 11 am to 1 pm. Director Casey Woods says the event has become a staple on the community calendar.
Two haunted house options are coming this weekend. Neosho Rapids will have its final run of its haunted house from 6-11 pm Saturday. Activities begin at the Neosho Rapids Community Center with a hayrack ride. Tickets are $10, with $1 off with canned food donations. Also, the Chase County Old School Development District has a haunted Principal’s Lair on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from 7-11 pm at the old school. Tickets are $10 to go through the haunted basement and $5 for a “mini-scare.”
Activities actually start in downtown Emporia with the Emporia Farmers Market’s Fall Fest, including vendors in costume. It’s the last regular-season market of the season and goes from 8:30-10:30 am Saturday.
Locally, Saturday activities wrap up in part with Mall-o-Ween at Flinthills Mall from 5-7 pm.
For Halloween itself, part of the local activity list includes an encouragement to donate to local food pantries. Emporia State University’s Locard Society of Forensic Science and the Emporia High Theatre Department are collecting pantry items for Corky’s Cupboard and the Emporia High Spartan Stop at 12th and Rural between 5-8:45 pm. People donating canned food will get candy in return. Emporia High theater students will also trick-or-treat on Rural, West and Neosho streets for canned goods to benefit Spartan Stop.
With thousands of kids out and about this weekend, Emporia Police Capt. Ray Mattas reminds trick-or-treaters about basic safety.
Mattas also reminds drivers to slow down and keep their lights on so they can be seen during peak trick-or-treating hours.
