On October 24-25 the City of Carmi, in conjunction with the Carmi Chamber of Commerce, will be hosting a Halloween Weekend at Burrell’s Woods.
On October 24, those camping will be encouraged to decorate their campsites with a fall theme. “We do ask that the campsites be kept child friendly as we want the children to have a good time and not be afraid of the decorations,” noted Chamber Executive Director Holly Healy. The campsites will be judged and a winner of the best decorated campsite will be announced on October 25 at the costume contest and will receive a prize of $15 Carmi Dollars.
On October 25, a day of fun is planned for families and the community is welcome to attend. At 10:00 a.m. a pumpkin decorating contest will be held at the shelter at the campground. Families are asked to bring their own pumpkins for the event. Age division for the contest will be: 5 and under, 6-12, 13-17 and 18 and up. Those 12 and under will be provided markers to use. Ages 13-17 may use markers or carve a pumpkin, but those carving must be supervised by a parent or guardian. Ages 18 and up must carve their pumpkin. Those wishing to carve a pumpkin should bring their own tools to do so. A prize for the best decorated pumpkin will be awarded for each age group.
At 2:00 p.m. a scavenger hunt will be held for families kicking off from the campground shelter. Families will scour the park searching for items from the clues given on the list provided. The first family to find all items will be awarded a prize. All children 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
At 4:00 p.m. a costume contest will be held. Adults and children are encouraged to come dressed in family friendly costumes. “Again, we do not want children to be afraid of the costumes,” noted Healy. Prizes for the best costume will be awarded for the following age groups: ages 3 and under, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-17 and 18 and up. An overall best costume will also be awarded $15 in Carmi Dollars.
From 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. trick-or-treating will commence in the campground. Children are welcome to go from camper to camper trick-or-treating. “Please only trick-or-treat campers that have someone sitting in front of them handing out treats. Additionally, this is a time for trick-or-treating at the campground only- not within the City of Carmi,” stated Mayor Jeff Pollard.
Camping October 24 and 25 will be by reservation only. Those wishing to reserve a campsite should call the Chamber office at (618) 382-7606. Reservations will be made on a first come, first serve basis.
“We want this to be an enjoyable weekend for families. Bring a picnic lunch and plan to spend the day enjoying Burrell’s Woods,” noted Pollard.
