AUSTIN – It’s back!
The Haunted Trail and All Hallows Eve Celebration will return to Sinnemahoning State Park on Saturday, from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
With new activities for younger kids and new frights for the adults and older kids, this Halloween event is bigger and scarier than before. The cost is $10 per carload; the admission fee includes the haunted trail, a hayride, a bonfire and more.
The evening of fun begins with activities and games for younger children from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Children and their families can create owls, bats, pumpkins and other make-and-take crafts, and then head outdoors to participate in seasonal games and a chance to meet Woodsy Owl, the pollution-fighting park mascot.
A less-scary version of the Haunted Trail will be open for the little ones from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
From 6 p.m. – 7 p.m., as attendees wait for darkness to fall, guest speaker, Maryann Haladay-Bierly, will enlighten and entertain all ages with “Owls of Pennsylvania,” a program featuring the state’s nocturnal raptors, their awesome adaptations and the sounds they make in the night.
Following the owl program, from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m., the Haunted Trail opens for older children and adults. Spiders, ghosts and the creepy chainsaw guy have all returned. Plus, the park has added new frights, including a haunted poachers’ camp, a glowing hazardous waste spill, an axe-throwing clown and more.
Hayrides and a bonfire will run throughout the evening. Refreshments, including hot beverages and baked goods, will be sold by the sixth- and eighth-grade students of Austin School.
The Haunted Trail and All Hallows Eve Celebration event will be held, rain or shine, at the new Park Office and Wildlife Center at Sinnemahoning State Park, just off Route 872 in Grove Township.
The trail covers about a half-mile over uneven ground. Participants should wear sturdy shoes, dress for the outdoors and be prepared to be scared.
For more information about the programs at Sinnemahoning State Park, contact the Park Office & Wildlife Center at 814-647-8401 or by e-mail at SinnemahoningSP@pa.gov. An online calendar of events can be found at http://events.dcnr.pa.gov/.
If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park you plan to visit. With at least three days’ notice, interpreters for people who are deaf or hard of hearing are available for educational programs.
