ANGOLA, Ind. (WLKI)- Pokagon State Park will host a weekend of Halloween activities October 30 and 31, offering families opportunities to hike, carve pumpkins, meet live owls and trick-or-treat in the campground.
The annual event, called Halloween Happenings, begins Friday, October 30, with the Friends of Pokagon's self-guided Spooky Night Hike.
The hike will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Trail 3 to Hell's Point. The 2.25-mile moderate trail includes 84 stairs and will feature family-friendly Halloween decorations.
Visitors are encouraged to bring flashlights. Dogs are welcome but must remain on a leash no longer than six feet and under their owner's control.
The Friends of Pokagon will accept cash donations for doughnut holes and apple cider. The refreshments are sponsored in part by Stroh Orchard of Fremont.
Saturday's activities begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Upper CCC Shelter with a pumpkin carving contest sponsored by the Steuben County Tourism Bureau. Participants will have one hour to carve and decorate pumpkins, which will be provided free while supplies last by Ridenour Acres of Angola.
First-place winners in each age category will receive prizes.
From 1 to 2 p.m., Soarin' Hawk Raptor Rehab of Fort Wayne will present its Happy Owl-oween program at the Upper CCC Shelter. The event will feature live owls and information about how the birds are adapted to life in the wild.
Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. The presentation will move inside the shelter in the event of rain.
Trick-or-treat bag decorating will follow from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Nature Center. Treat bags, markers and stickers will be available while supplies last.
The weekend's main event, campground trick-or-treating, begins at 5 p.m. in Campground 3 and continues until 6:30 p.m. Campers and volunteers will hand out candy to children in costume.
Visitors who are not camping are asked to park at the Main Beach parking lot and use the paved bike path to reach the campground.
Campground 3 will also host a campsite decorating contest throughout the weekend. Visitors can vote for their favorite decorated campsite at the Nature Center. The winning camper will receive two nights of camping at Pokagon, with the winner announced on the park's Facebook page the following week.
All Halloween Happenings programs are free, although regular park entrance fees apply. Admission is $7 per vehicle for Indiana residents and $15 per vehicle for out-of-state visitors.