Halloween activities begin this weekend in Avoyelles

With Halloween falling on a Tuesday this year, Trick-or-Treaters will have a chance to “double dip” with holiday activities as some events have been planned for this weekend while others will stick to the traditional night of candy-collecting.

The weekend events are listed here. Trick-or-Treating times will be listed prior to Tuesday.

Fall Market/Trick or Treating Around the Square - The Marksville Chamber of Commerce will hold the first annual Fall Market/Trick or Treating around Courthouse Square from 2-8 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 28).

The day will kick off with the Fall Market opening at 2 p.m. Arts and crafts vendors will be open with a variety of items for sale.

The Children’s Corner Under the Ol’ Oak Tree will also open at 2 p.m. A bounce house, sponsored by Phillips Sublimation, will be set up along with a pumpkin painting table, sponsored by Paragon Casino Resort, and a pumpkin patch photo booth, sponsored by McGovern Accounting.

At 3 p.m. scary storyies will be told under the oak tree at the courthouse.

At 4 p.m. the Halloween on the Bayou Wagon Parade will begin. Children up to 13-year-of-age are invited to participate. Only wagons will be allowed in the parade. The winner of the parade will win a lifetime hunting and fishing license, sponsored by the Spring Bayou Restoration Team.

The Paul and Pete band will perform at the market from 4 to 8 p.m.

At 5 p.m. the children’s Halloween costume contest will be held. Divisions will be: 0-3, 4-8 and 9-13 years.

All winners will receive a small cash prize.

A dog costume contest will also be held at 5 p.m., sponsored by Chien Rouge.

Deadline to submit entries into the pumpkin coloring contest is 5 p.m.

At 5:30 p.m. there will be a children and adult divisions pumpkin pie-eating contest. The contest is sponsored by Central LA Tire and Bailey’s on the Square.

At 6 p.m., winners in the pumpkin coloring contest will be announced.

Trick-or-Treating Around the Square will open from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for children up to age 13. Participants will be able to follow the pumpkin trail for treats from local businesses.

The Fall Market will close at 8 p.m.

For more information visit the marksvillechamber.org website, the Chamber’s Facebook page or call Jennifer Moseley at (318) 305-0138 or Dodie Lachney at (318) 201-4172.

City of Marksville Haunted House - In a separate event this Saturday, the City of Marksville will treat area children to its popular Haunted House in the old City Hall from 5-9 p.m.

The event was canceled last year as many of the usual volunteers were busy helping families in South Louisiana deal with major flooding.

In the event of bad weather, the Haunted House will be held on Halloween night.

Trunk or Treat, Haas Walking Track - David Haas Memorial United Methodist Church of Bunkie will host a “Trunk or Treat” at the Haas Walking Track from 5-6:30 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 29).

Those setting up a trunk or booth game must arrive by 4:30 p.m. to set up in their assigned location.

For safety reasons, vehicles will not be allowed to move or leave the track area until the end of the event.

Donations are being sought for candy to hand out.

Rev. Joe Hoover is the host pastor.

For more information, call (318) 346-2764 on Monday and Tuesday mornings or email pastor@davidhaasumc.org.