The popular haunted house is back this year for Halloween Howl, which will return to Desert Park after a hiatus of five years. There was no haunted house last year and Halloween Howl was rebranded as Halloween Carnival. Pictured here, a girl screams in terror when she’s startled by a monster screaming from a cage in the dungeons at the Sonora Community Centre. (Richard McGuire file photo)
Halloween this year will see the return of the much-loved haunted house as the town-organized events return to Desert Park for the first time in years.
Also next Tuesday, Trick or Treat Main Street returns for its fourth year with a Star Wars theme – appropriately tagged, “May the fourth be with you.”
Once again, Trick or Treat Main Street runs during the afternoon at downtown businesses, while the town-organized events run later from 6 to 8 p.m.
Sarah Dynneson, program supervisor with Town of Osoyoos Community Services, said this year’s events would again be called “Halloween Howl,” as they were prior to last year.
“Hopefully we’ll bring back the magic we had seven, eight, nine years ago,” she said, noting that events were run at Desert Park in the past before they moved to the Sonora Community Centre five years ago.
Last year the haunted house was eliminated and the name of the town’s event was changed to Halloween Carnival. Its focus was also shifted to younger children.
But Dynneson admits the change was less successful than hoped.
“It wasn’t as good as I would have liked,” she said. “A lot of people asked for the haunted house, which is what motivated us to bring it back.”
This year’s haunted house will be held in the gym in the main building at Desert Park and the theme will be “a walk in the woods,” she said.
There will also be games, activities and candy.
Although Dynneson said teenagers are welcome, the focus will be more on children under 12.
The Osoyoos Secondary School grad class will be helping, as will students from the school’s OASIS program and members of the Desert Dogs Agility Club, she said.
The Osoyoos Elks Lodge is sponsoring the event and providing funds.
Trick or Treat Main Street is organized by Osoyoos Credit Union (OCU) and includes participating downtown Main Street businesses extending from Sunshine Ridge Retirement Residences to around AG Foods.
Greg Sol, general manager at OCU, said the format is similar to previous years.
Once again, youngsters can have their photos taken at OCU and images will be provided to parents or guardians by email.
OCU will be giving away prizes including bicycles to the boy and girl judged to have the best costumes.
The picture taking runs from 1:30 to 4 p.m., Sol said, while the trick-or-treating on Main Street runs from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
OCU is also offering limited sidewalk space to businesses located away from downtown Main Street who would like to set up a table and participate, he said.
Sol said businesses wishing to set up in front of OCU should contact the credit union, as space is limited.
He described participation in the event by local merchants as “fantastic,” and said the list of participants will be updated this week on the event’s website at trickortreatmainstreet.com.
“It’s really developing into quite a neat community event,” he said.
As for the Star Wars theme, Sol said OCU will have cutouts of some of the Star Wars characters, and there will also be a Star Wars themed giveaway.
“It’s a pretty cool little surprise,” he said.
To help businesses that don’t have the staff to handle all the trick-or-treaters, OCU has partnered with Volinspire to provide help.
Sol said Volinspire uses its web-based platform to connect volunteers with groups such as non-profits that need volunteers for events.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
