Coming attractions: Downtown’s Fall Fun Day kicks off season of events

Cohen Demuth peers out of a pumpkin cut-out during a harvest celebration in Crescent City last year. The Del Norte Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

Summer is over, the air has a slight chill, the leaves are changing, but it’s not quite winter yet — maybe that’s the reason to celebrate.

There’s a lot going on in October: Halloween, a time to dress-up for spooky fun; Oktoberfest, an annual festival that originated with a royal Bavarian wedding in 1810; and the harvest, marking the end of the growing season.

All are being celebrated locally this month.

Fall Fun Day

The first event of this celebratory season is the Fall Fun Day being put on by downtown Crescent City businesses.

This event is different from the Business Improvement District (BID)’s annual downtown trick-or-treating and parade of past years.

“The merchants are trying to do something special to remind people that they’re there and to shop local,” said Pamela Kimball, an organizer of the event and an advertising account manager for the Triplicate.

From noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, downtown business will have an array of festivities. Walking down 3rd Street, there will be food and treats, drinks, an Oktoberfest featuring German food and beer, face painting, live music, balloons, giveaways and discounts and a potter working

The 4-H club, Giddy Up ’N’ Goat, will have a petting zoo at Tri Counties Bank, which will be open Saturday.

The newest business, Andrew’s Green Ark, will be have a grand opening, during which there will be a drawing for a tarantula, doggy pillow and cat and dog food.

The Humane Society of Del Norte will have dogs and cats available for adoption at the event.

In the alley next to Chere’s Boutique will be Cocktails for the Cause and Oktoberfestival from 1-4 p.m. with blue cocktails, German snacks, beer tasting and raffle prizes.

To celebrate Evermore Jewelry and Art Gallery’s one year anniversary, artist Mick Miller will be throwing pots at the gallery on H Street; pottery will also be on sale. Friday night, artist Aimee Bolender will be at the gallery from 4 to 7 p.m. to meet people. Bolender photographs nature scenes, including unique birds, sea life, lighthouses, flowers and plants.

Dale Morgan will be playing music in front of the Bookcomber. The group Persons of Interest will be performing at 3rd and H Streets. Mike Selfridge will be performing children’s music in front of Andrew’s Green Ark.

Beauty Secrets is doing a wig show and paraffin manicure demos.

Tomasini’s Enoteca will have food samples. Del Norte Office Supply will also have munchies available.

Northcoast Mortgage will be making popcorn balls and doing face painting in front of Crescent Land and Title

Various business will have specials on Saturday.

Kimball said that the event will be in the afternoon so people have time to go to the Farmers Market and children’s soccer games.

They can stop by the Fun Fall Day before they head home, Kimball said.

“It’s an opportunity to generate foot traffic downtown,” she said.

Cocktails for the Cause

Billie Kaye Gavin-Tygart decided to reschedule Cocktails for the Cause from last Friday during the Sea Cruise Show & Shine to be held during the downtown Fall Fun Day.

The owner of 6 Degrees of Celebration also decided to make the fundraising event an OktoberFestival.

The drinks this year will be blue for Oktoberfestival.

“We’re trying to fill the void,” Gavin-Tygart said about having an Oktoberfest event, “and have some fun downtown because of all the events happening.”

In the alley next to Chere’s Boutique will be blue cocktails, German food and beer and raffle prizes, all to benefit Grace Lutheran Preschool from 1-4 p.m.

Dylan the Balloon Entertainer will be at Cocktails for the Cause starting at 2 p.m.

Last year’s Cocktails for the Cause for breast cancer awareness (the drinks were pink) was a success, Gavin-Tygart said, and she wanted to do it again, but for a local cause.

Grace Lutheran needs help keeping the tuition down for preschool students, Gavin-Tygart said.

“We’ll choose a new charity every fall,” she said. “I think it’s important to keep the funds local. LRT (Lighthouse Repertory Theatre) is on my radar to be the next candidate.”

Pumpkin patch

The Brocks’ pumpkin patch in Fort Dick just keeps growing.

Larry and Diane Brock are inviting people to grab a sugar pie or jack-o-lantern pumpkin in the 2-acre patch at their home, 1690 Morehead Road, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, unless it’s raining.

“Anybody can come out and pick a pumpkin,” said Diane Brock.

The Brocks are offering hay rides around their field for groups of six or more people. They are also standing up cutouts of farm scenes for people to take their picture with, Brock said.

They started a pumpkin patch about three years “because it’s a family thing,” Brock said. “There’s nothing for the families to do with the little kids. We really enjoy the kids.”

People can call the Brocks at 464-4286 for more information.

Trail Spook-Tacular

The Northwest Trail Riders are putting on the second Trail Spook-Tacular on Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds.

Trails will be set up for children and adults on horseback to try, said Barbara Harkins, the secretary for the riding group.

“They have to go through each trail without the horse being spooked,” she said.

Ten obstacles will be set up for contestants to go through, such as pushing a ball through a maze or putting the horse’s hooves in rings or letting someone dressed as a witch offer an apple to the rider.

“You’re hoping you’ve worked with your horse enough to have a good mind and accept what you do,” Harkins said.

Even instructing a horse to step into a large ring on the ground is “not as easy as it sounds,” she said.

“Horses are careful about where their feet go,” Harkins said. “If you train them, they will do it.”

This will all take place at the Ace Arena at the Fairgrounds. It costs $10 to enter for members and $15 for non-members. Registration is at 9 a.m.

Right before the trials begin will be a costume contest for participants and their horses at 10 a.m.

The Northwest Trail Riders held a similar event last October because of the timing in between competitions, but the group decided to make it a Halloween event.

“It just kind of fell that way,” Harkins said. “We did it again this way this year. It makes sense to turn it into something for Halloween.

One child also expressed a wish to dress up a horse in costume, she said.

There will be prizes for the best costumes and for completing the obstacles.

“It’s a lot of fun and challenging,” Harkins said. “It gives them some things to work on to make their horse a better horse. It’s a learning opportunity.”

During the event, there will be a tack sale to raise funds for the Northwest Trail Riders. People can bring in their tack and 10 percent of whatever sells will go to the riding group and the rest goes back to the owner.

Chills for Children

The name implies this event is for children, but it’s in spirit only.

The annual Halloween party for people 21 and older is a benefit for the Del Norte Child Care Council. The local agency provides a plethora of services to parents, such as help finding a child-care provider and using the right car seat.

“This is their only big fundraiser,” said organizer Billie Kaye Gavin-Tygart.

Th eighth annual Chills for Children will be held Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Cultural Center. Northwoods Restaurant will sponsor a no-host bar and DJ Hope from Medford will mixing music.

“Adults can come dressed up and cut loose,” Gavin-Tygart said.

Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and dancing goes until 1 a.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and are available at 6 Degrees of Celebration, 909 3rd St., or the Child Care Council, 212 K St., or for $25 at the door.

A panel of judges will determine the best costumes in various categories: best overall, group, couple, scariest and funniest.

The Halloween party has grown to the point where it typically attracts about 300 people, Gavin-Tygart said.

She said she realized that Crescent City needed a Halloween party and made it a fundraiser. It’s become something that people look forward to each year.

“This town has a lot of great fundraisers, there is nothing like this,” Gavin-Tygart said. “It’s a chance to come have fun and dress up. I can’t believe how people dress up, they put so much work into their costumes.”

Harvest Dance

Ship Ashore Resort has had a dance in October around Halloween for 40-plus years, said Manager Marlene Enright.

The Harvest Dance will be Oct. 29 at 8 p.m.; cover is $6.

Border Coast will be performing rock ’n’ roll tunes from the 1950s and 1960s, Enright said.

There will also be a costume contest for those who choose to dress up with prizes for the best ones, she said. Door prizes will also be given out.

“I’ve seen some really good ones,” Enright said about costumes.

About 100-200 people come to the dance each year, she said. Even those who move away from the area come back for the party every year, Enright said.

“It’s really fun,” she said.

Other upcoming events

• Redwood Elementary School’s 45th annual Halloween Carnival will be Oct. 28 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.. There will be games, a costume contest and a silent auction, food and door prizes, including a mountain bike, digital camera and a food basket.

Tickets cost $1 and are available at Redwood School on Lake Earl Drive in Fort Dick or at the carnival.

The school is accepting donations of cakes, bags of candy, items for auction, hot dogs buns, cans of chili, plain tortilla chips, cans of soda, ground beef, bottled water and small juice boxes. Donations can be dropped off in the Redwood School office.

• The Del Norte County Public Library is hosting two Halloween events Oct. 30.

At 3:30 p.m. the library and Smith River Rancheria Community and Family Services will host “Carpathian — the Spooky Storyteller” from Humboldt County. This program will be held at the Howonquet Community Center , 250 North Indian Road in Smith River. Children are welcome to come in costumes.

At 6 p.m. that evening, the same program will be at the library, 190 Price Mall in Crescent City.

Both programs last about an hour and are free to the public. For more information please contact Kelley Nolan at 464-7072 or stop by the library.

• Also in Smith River is the Harvest Health Fair on Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Tolowa Event Center at Lucky 7 Casino.

There will be natural health demonstrations, vendors, and giveaways. For more information call 218-0186.

• The Chetco Community Public Library, 405 Alder St. in Brookings, is hosting a pumpkin-decorating contest.

Bring a decorated pumpkin to the library Oct. 20-27. Judging will take place and winners announced on Oct. 28.

The public is welcome to come in during the week to choose their favorite. For information, call the library (541) 469-7738.

• The Chetco Community Public Library is having a Ghost Stories Night on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. Kalmiopsis Elementary School first-grade teacher Dan Rotterman will open the night with ghoulish poems assisted by first-grade alumni. Dori Blodgett will read stories and lead in the singing of spooky songs.

• On Halloween, the Chetco Activity Center, 550 Chetco Lane in Brookings, will host a Halloween lunch with treats, stories and games from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests are invited to wear costumes. Prizes will be awarded for scariest, most original and most comical outfit. For information, call (541)469-6822.

The Curry Coastal Pilot also contributed to this report.