Variety of festivals planned for Halloween

Clovis and Portales ghosts and ghouls this Halloween have a lot of places to choose from to scare up some family fun.

A number of places have events planned for Halloween and the day before. The Portales Recreation Center is one of them.

“We’re going to have people jumping out of places to scare people,” Andrea Copenhaver, afterschool program director, said about the haunted house at the center.

The rec center is planning a haunted house and maze to help raise money for its afterschool program. All the planning and setup means the afterschool program won’t be available for children Thursday and Friday.

If a haunted house isn’t someone’s idea of fun, local churches are having carnivals for Halloween.

In Clovis, for instance, the Church of the Nazarene is having its third annual Neewollah, a Halloween alternative. Children can do a “trunk or treat” and enjoy games, door prizes and food.

For trunk or treat, Student Ministry Pastor Wally Yeager said people line up their cars so they can give candy to children out of their trunks.

“We decorate our cars and stuff like that,” Yeager said. “It is just a safe place to come for families, and we don’t tell teenagers that they can’t come. We usually cater to a lot of families.”

Last year, the church had 1,000 people attend, and members expect 2,000 this year.

As another option, Eastern New Mexico University has scheduled the Boo Bash and costume party for ENMU students and the community Friday. This year, the Associated Student Activities Board was planning a haunted house, but things fell through.

“Unfortunately, we had to cancel because myself and other people have been out sick with the flu,” Tracy Henderson, director of Student Activities and Organizations at ENMU, said. “So, it is just going to be the Boo Bash this year and the costume contest.”

The contest and dance are open to the community, but only students can get the prizes. Last year, people from the community did win the group costume contest.

A live DJ from Albuquerque is coming for the dance at the Campus Union Building.

Portales

• Trick or treat at Heartland Continuing Care Center

6 p.m. Friday

• Calvary Baptist Church fall festival

6- 8 p.m. Saturday

• Emmanuel Baptist Church fall festival

6-8 p.m. Saturday

• Central Christian Church fall festival

6-8 p.m. Saturday

• Portales Recreation Center haunted house

7-10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday

• Boo Bash and Costume Party at ENMU Campus Union Building

8-11 p.m. Friday

• Portales Senior Center Trick or Treat

5-6:30 p.m. Saturday

Clovis

• North Plains Mall Trunk or Treat

6-8 p.m. Saturday

(Children 12 and under)

• Immanuel Lutheran Church Reformation Walking Tour

6:30-8 p.m. Saturday

• Faith Christian Church Fall Festival

7:30-9 p.m. Saturday

(Pre-school through sixth grade)

• Parkland Baptist Church Family Fall Festival

5-7 p.m. Saturday

• Living Stones Community Church of the Nazarene Neewollah

6-8 p.m. Saturday

• Sandia Baptist Church Fall Family Festival

6-8 p.m.