Fair throws community Halloween party

Four hours of fun include Jaycees haunted house

By CANDACE CHASE/Daily Inter Lake

Come to the fairgrounds Friday night, if you dare, for the first community Halloween party, featuring the Kalispell Jaycees haunted house, games, food and cash prizes for captivating costumes.

Fairgrounds volunteer Susie Thompson promises four hours of mostly free frightful family fun from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Trades Building.

"Now that we have this great big building, we really wanted to use it as a nice, safe place for the kids to come and not have to spend a lot of money," Thompson said. "We've got so many fun things planned."

Among the star attractions, the Jaycees haunted house returns to the Flathead after a year's absence. Tiffany DeVera, Kalispell Jaycees president, said the club has a family-friendly version put together at the fairgrounds.

"It's toned down a lot - it's not as rough as it usually is," she said. "In the past, we've had people turn around and run out. It's great."

DeVera said admission costs just two cans of food as a donation for the food bank.

She won't divulge all the surprises but a graveyard and maze raise spine-tingling questions about the fate of earlier visitors.

The club has a huge collection of masks, a fog machine and more to use in their quest to scare guests.

"This has been a tradition of the Jaycees for more than 20 years," DeVera said.

Much more fun awaits survivors including the chance to purchase raffle tickets from Jaycees for prizes such as a night's stay and dinner for two at Mountain Lakes or Whitefish Pine Lodge or food certificates for Pescado Blanco and North Bay Grill.

A few of the Halloween party child-oriented activities include an apple dunk sponsored by Culligan, stick horse races and chicken lotto.

Never played chicken lotto?

"We have a cage with numbers on the floor," Thompson explained. "You bet on the number where the chicken will poop."

Winners get candy to add to their trick-or-treat bags. Losers won't go home with an empty bag since spooks in costume walking through the crowd hand out candy, too.

"We also have free popcorn and cotton candy," Thompson said.

Vendors offer pizza and Italian food for families seeking more substantial fare. Caramel apples, apple cider and hot coffee also will be available.

"I'm trying to arrange bingo for the adults," Thompson said.

Both young and old have an incentive to dream up awesome costumes to compete for cash in the judging at 8:30 p.m. Age categories and prizes are:

n 5 and under - $25

n 6 to 10 - $75

n 11 to 15 - $75

n 16 to 19 - $100

n 20 to 50 - $100

n Seniors - $100

Judges - the costumed people distributing candy - will weigh originality, uniqueness and complexity in deciding the fairest and foulest of them all.

Admission to the building is free and many of the activities are offered at no cost.

Some of the games such as the Airwalk donated by Midway Rental require a ticket that costs 25 cents.

Celebrants may also take part in a prize walk, where participants compete to end up on specific squares where they earn prizes.

"We'll have a sort of creepy thing where you stick your hand in and try to identify what you're touching," Thompson said.

Like pie more than slime? The fair has a pie-eating contest cooked up for Halloween night.

Olympian eaters must consume their pie with their hands tied behind their backs. No early information was leaked as to the type of pie so as to give an edge in training.

But no worries about quantity.

"We've got lots of pies donated," Thompson said.

Pet lovers may trick-or-treat for their dogs by sticking their hands in hay bales and pulling out suckers. Depending on the color, the gamer wins various treats to take home to Fido.

According to Thompson, the fair hopes to make the community Halloween party an annual event.

She said many businesses, including Glacier, Three Rivers and Valley banks, jumped in to help support the party.

"We had no problem getting people involved," she said. "Now we just need kids to come."

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.