What’s the best part of Halloween? If you ask a child, it’s all the free candy they get running door-to-door dressed in crazy costumes.
For most families, Halloween is about dressing up, decorating their homes and celebrating at school or with friends. Below are a few extra events leading up to the big day, offering a cool taste of what’s to come.
• Sunday, Oct. 22 – Salisbury at the Enjoy is hosting a scavenger hunt, face painting and balloon twisting from noon to 3 p.m. In a unique partnership with Citadel Theatre, Salisbury will give away tickets to Little Shop of Horrors. The horror comedy rock musical tells the tale of a nerdy florist who finds romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed. Salisbury will also be giving away a Venus Fly Trap plant. Donations for St. Albert Food Bank are requested.
• Saturday, Oct. 28 – St. Albert Centre invites children to dress up in Halloween costumes and walk away with an amazing prize during their Halloween Hocus Focus event. Photographer Sheila Bell will be taking photos of the kids down by The Bay. All that is needed to obtain a free photo is a donation to the St. Albert Food Bank.
The first 100 kids to bring their special brand of Halloween will receive a $10 gift card. And any child who completes the Halloween Scavenger Haunt Passport is entered to win one of several grand prizes including a Nintendo Switch, an electric scooter and an iPad. The event takes place 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 28 – Servus Credit Union Place. If you are under the age of 12, the Halloween Haunt running from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. is for you. It is quite possibly St. Albert’s biggest costume parade with princesses, Barbies, superheroes, cuddly animals, witches, ghosts, wizards, and the walking dead, to name a few.
The event features inflatables, sensory bins, a scavenger hunt, archery tag, selfie stations and the prized candy stations. There are also Toddler Town toys, a spooky skate in Performance Arena, as well as take-and-make craft stations.
The cost is drop-in admission, but it is free to all annual and monthly members. Wristbands can be purchased at the door or online at activity.stalbert.ca.
This year, Servus is adding the Inclusion Hour and will open the event one hour early from noon to 1 p.m. for children who require a sensory-safe space. There will be dim lights, no music, sensory kits and small crowds.
• Saturday, Oct. 28 – Mission Fun and Games hosts a Halloween Puzzle Championship from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is a family or team-based activity. Every group of up to four members will be given the same puzzle. They have a three-hour time limit to assemble the 1,000-piece puzzle.
The first group to finish the puzzle will receive one copy of the Halloween Edition of Patchwork and a copy of Fiesta De Los Muertos. Second place also receives a copy of Fiesta De Los Muertos, and every team gets to take home the puzzle they worked on.
• Sunday, Oct. 29 – St. Albert Gymnastics Club opens the gym for trick-or-treat fun. Get ready to burn up some energy while enjoying sparkly tattoos, face painting, a photo booth, and a haunted house. This all-ages event runs from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
