The City of Portage is planning two new Halloween events as well as continuing one of its most popular activities for the season.
The newly formed Portage Event Partnership will host the inaugural Light Up the Gourds! Illuminated Pumpkin Trail. The drive-thru event will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23 and 24, along the Central Avenue entrance drive to the Bonner Senior Center. Admission will be free.
PEP is calling
on businesses, individuals, groups, non-profits, schools and others to get
imaginative and create Halloween scenes which will be placed along the trail.
Entities can enter a scene, comprising 75 percent pumpkins or other seasonal
gourds to be placed along the trail. The scenes must be lit. For additional details
call city hall, 219-762-5425 or email nlaboy@portage-in.com.
Additional information will be posted on the city's Facebook page and its
website at portagein.gov
The winners will receive Golden Pumpkin awards for the best scenes in each
category.
In conjunction, PEP will also host a Light Up the Gourds at Home Halloween residential decorating contest. Residents who would like to enter their homes in the contest must send a photo of their home Halloween display, along with an address to aarmstrong@portage-in.com by Oct. 21. Photographs as well as the addresses of the homes on the new PEP Facebook page at facebook.com/portageeventpartnership/. Residents can drive by the homes and vote for their favorite via the PEP Facebook page by Oct. 31. The winner of the special home Golden Pumpkin will be announced on Nov. 2.
The annual
Haunted Hayride at Woodland Park, 2100 Willowcreek Road, sponsored by the
Portage Park Department, will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday,
Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22, 23 and 24. Admission is $3 per person.
COVID precautions will be taken to make sure the annual event is safe.
Participants will be required to wear masks and seating on the hay wagons will
be limited to 20 people to allow for social distancing.
For more information on the Haunted Hayride, please contact the park department
at 219-762-1675 or email aarmstrong@portage-in.com
Trick-or-treat hours will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Residents wanting to participate are asked to turn on their porch lights during those hours. Those who do not want to participate are asked to turn off their lights.
