A slew of Halloween activities for Starkville this weekend will begin tonight.
Starkville Parks Director Herman Peters said the city will host a movie tonight starting at 7 at the Sportsplex. The event will feature “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” and “Hotel Transylvania.”
On Saturday, the city will hold a fall festival at J.L. King Senior Memorial Park. A coffee and hot chocolate social with elected officials will begin at about 5:30, with Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins coming at about 6:30 and Mayor Lynn Spruill shortly after, Peters said.
Peters said a video trailer will also be at the festival, as will local vendors. He said there will be a costume contest, pie-eating contest and other activities.
On Monday, the city will hold its second trunk-or-treat at the Sportsplex. An egg hunt, starting at 5:30 p.m. on the soccer field, will precede the vent. Peters said the trunk-or-treat, where children can get candy from car trunks, will start once the egg hunt is over which should be by 5:45 or 6 p.m.
“All the departments in the city are giving out candy to the kids here in the Sportsplex,” he said. “Instead of going to people’s houses, they go from trunk to trunk, and it’s much safer.
“It’s our second year doing it,” he added. “Last year we had more than 500 kids. This year, we’re expecting to have that many or more.”
With the range of events this weekend, Peters said the city is trying to make sure everyone has something to do.
“There are some people on the west side of town who can’t make it over (to the Sportsplex) Monday night,” Peters said. “We’re trying to be inclusive and not leave anyone out. We’re trying to have events on both sides of town to give everyone a chance to participate this year.”
The city has set trick-or-treating hours for Halloween from 5:30-8 p.m. on Tuesday.
Haunted Horse Park
The Mississippi Horse Park, on Poor House Road, will be home to the “Haunted Horse Park” today through Sunday.
Horse Park Director Bricklee Miller, who also represents District 4 on the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors, said Mississippi State University’s Residence Hall Association is putting on the event as a fundraiser.
She said the event is held in the horse park’s main arena.
“It’s a walk-through haunted house,” Miller said. “Every year they have grown it. They moved it from campus to the horse park a few years ago and it’s a phenomenal event.”
The haunted horse park is $5 per person. It starts at 7 p.m., with a “lights on,” more kid-friendly period until 8. Then, lights will be out for the haunted horse park until midnight.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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