The nights now bring a nip of frost. The breezes that blow carry crispy, crunchy fall leaves that float hither and yon until the wind decides to deposit them somewhere.
Bags of candy and costumes are flying off the shelves, and Pendleton County’s football team is about to wrap up another outstanding season.
It’s definitely Halloween time!
This year with Halloween falling on a Saturday, the timing is perfect for two community organizations to break out the pumpkins and candy and welcome the kids for fun and treats.
Celebrations of Halloween on the North Fork this year start at the Clinton Hedrick Community Building in Riverton. With North Fork Elementary School unable to do its normal Halloween party, Spruce Mountain Ruritan Club has stepped in to fill the need. “This is our first annual Halloween event,” shared Lisa Faust from the Spruce Mountain Ruritan Club.
Ruritan started as a monthly community dinner that branched out and evolved into filling a number of community service functions. These are based on the three-word slogan of “Fellowship, Goodwill, and Community Service.” Clubs then each form five committees to address this vision, comprised of and for business and professions, environment, public service, social development, and youth.
Nothing happens without Ruritan members’ hard work, however. Earlier this month, a team went to take care of landscaping at the Clinton Hedrick Building, as they called it, “sprucing up” the outside.
Taking over a community Halloween celebration for the area families serves as a perfect example of those principles in action.
The young and the young-at-heart will enjoy pumpkin carving, old-fashioned cake walks, games, face painting, concessions, treats, and a costume contest at 2:30. Contributions from generous sponsors made sure that concessions would come at no cost.
Faust said, “It’s all for the kids. Everyone is excited about doing it.” Help has come from all over Pendleton County, including T&K Markets, Harpers Old Country Store, Country Décor, Red Lick Farm Greenhouse, and Greer Lime.
Festivities will last until about 5 p.m.
At that point, just a few miles down the road, the Seneca Rocks Volunteer Fire Department will provide “a family-friendly evening of community fun.” With streets for trick-or-treating few and far between in the North Fork, the VFD is offering space to have a full trunk-or-treat party from 5 to 7 p.m.
As the VFD stated in a release, “Everyone is welcome to park, set up a spot, and join us in handing out treats to the kids.” It also encouraged all to “come out and show off your cute Halloween designs.”
