Shaver's Creek to unmask educational side of Halloween

University Park, Pa. -- Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center will host its annual Children’s Halloween Trail and Festival on Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25.

The Halloween trail is a nonscary, enchanting event tailor-made for children ages 4 to 10. On the trail, scarecrow-costumed tour guides will lead children to five different educationally designed stations facilitated by Penn State students. Tours run every 10 minutes, beginning each day at 11 a.m., with the last tour leaving at 3:30 p.m.This year’s theme is “how the natural world has inspired Halloween.” Dressed in costumes, Penn State students will teach children about the culture of Halloween and the customs surrounding it. They will focus on issues like consumer product decomposition and creatures of the night. Student volunteers participate by enrolling in a one-credit course called Interpreting Halloween to Children.

“Halloween is a vehicle to spread the word about Pennsylvania’s biodiversity,” Doug Wentzel, program director of Shaver’s Creek, said. “Halloween is just cleverly disguised as a big biodiversity festival.”

Shaver’s Creek staff also will be on hand to lead tours through the Raptor Center, where children can see the popular Halloween bird, the Great Horned Owl.
In addition to the pumpkin-lit Halloween trail, the Shaver’s Creek Welcome Center will hold a variety of activities for kids, including pumpkin carving, crafts, face painting, nature programs and more.

New this year is a children’s costume contest and pumpkin-recipe contest. For the costume contest, pictures will be taken so festival attendees can place votes with pocket change.

Tickets for the Halloween Trail are $5 for ages 4 and older; children 3 and under attend for free. Tickets can be purchased over the phone or in person. There is no cost to attend the festival. Food also will be available for purchase.

For more information on the Halloween Trail and Festival or for general inquiries, contact 814-863-2000 or visit http://www.outreach.psu.edu/shaverscreek/index-childrens-halloween-trail.html online.

About Shaver's Creek
Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center has strived to help people and communities learn to live in harmony with the natural environment for more than 30 years. Shaver’s Creek is part of Penn State Outreach, the largest unified outreach organization in American higher education. Penn State Outreach serves more than 5 million people each year, delivering more than 2,000 programs to people in all 67 Pennsylvania counties, all 50 states and 114 countries worldwide.