Fall fun continues: a harvest of events to celebrate the season

Autumn’s cool temperatures have set in, and Halloween is just two weeks away. Ozark County residents may choose from a wide array of area activities to join in on the fun festivities of the season. From trunk-or-treat events to movie nights and fall foliage viewing, there’s no shortage of places and events to celebrate this time of year.

 

Oct. 19-21 

Mark Twain Carnival, Rueter, Friday, Oct. 19

Mark Twain Elementary School will host its fall carnival Friday, Oct. 19. The event will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with bingo and a chili supper, served by donation. A concession stand will also have funnel cakes for purchase. A variety of games will open at 5:30 p.m., and at 7 p.m. the king and queen coronation and live auction will be held. The live auction features items for bid, including two Jason Aldean concert tickets with meet-and-greet passes, Branson show tickets, a load of gravel, a veggie bullet, a compact drill/driver set and more. Classroom basket raffles will also be offered with themes including candy, Christmas, movie/game night, Pioneer Woman and fishing. The event is open to all kids and adults, not just Mark Twain students and families. For more information call the school at 417-785-4323.

 

Rescheduled Spirit movie night at Gainesville Saddle Club Grounds, Saturday, Oct. 20

As a thank you to the community for its help after the 2017 flood, the Gainesville Saddle Club is planning a community movie night at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at the saddle club grounds. The club will show the movie Spirit, an animated story about a horse in the Old West, on a large inflatable screen. The community event is free and open to everyone. Organizers suggest bringing a blanket or lawn chairs for seating. The event was rescheduled from its original date last weekend due to technical difficulties with the projector.

The saddle club’s cook shack will be open for purchase of burgers, hot dogs, chili pies, nachos and drinks beginning at 5:30 p.m.

 

Haunting in the Hollows of Galloway Park, West Plains, Saturday, Oct. 20

The 12th annual Haunting in the Hollows at Galloway Creek Nature Park in West Plains will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20. The free, family-friendly Halloween event will feature special activities each hour and will have pony rides, an escape room, a chicken chase, face painting, arts and craft booths, a petting zoo, a cupcake walk, cookie creations, kids games, lots of prizes, goat rides, pet costume contest and an agility run. For those who are looking for creepy crawlies and other animals, Fishland is bringing live snakes and spiders for visitors to see, the Dickerson Park Zoo will have their Animal Tales show and a Born to Be Wild presentation featuring a live New Guinea singing dog, a Madagascar hissing cockroach, a Sudan plated lizard, a tree frog and a pine snake. Everything is free. There is no extra charge for games and activities. For more information, call West Plains City Hall at 417-256-7176 or search for “Haunting in the Hollows” on Facebook.

 

Glade Top Trail Flaming Fall Revue, Sunday, Oct. 21, Ava

The Glade Top Trail Flaming Fall Revue, an Ozarks tradition for decades that’s set at the Caney Picnic Area of Glade Top Trail in the Mark Twain National Forest, will be held Sunday, Oct. 21. This year’s event will kick off at 10:30 a.m. with a church service. The event includes live music throughout the day by Missy Breshears, Jam Dandy Band, Bethany Caudill and Centerline. Fall activities, a turkey-calling contest, pumpkin ring toss, dessert auction, pumpkin painting and booths from local artisans will be featured in a setting offering wide views of Ozarks fall foliage. Organizers say the event also will include opportunities for lots of free family fun. A meal will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the choice of a hotdog and chips for $3, brown beans and ham with cornbread for $4 or a slow-cooked pulled pork dinner for $6. Seating will be limited, so those attending are asked to bring lawn chairs. 

Directions from Gainesville: travel north on Highway 5 into Douglas County. Turn left onto A Highway (in Douglas County, not Ozark County) and follow the signs to the Caney picnic area on Glade Top Trail. For more information, visit avachamber.org or call 417-683-4594. 

 

Oct. 27, 2018

Halloween party at the Isabella VFW

Isabella VFW Post #5366 will host a Halloween party Saturday, Oct. 27. The event, which is open to the public, will feature live music by the Seldom Seen Band from 8 p.m. to midnight, a costume contest with first, second and third places, drink specials and a baked ham dinner. For more information, call the VFW at 417-273-5008.

 

Oak Grove Church family day hayride & BBQ,  Wasola, Saturday, Oct. 27

Oak Grove Church will host a family day featuring hay rides and a BBQ beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. The event will feature races, face painting, pumpkin painting, bean bag toss, ring toss, Go Fish, crafts and more. The church is located about 15 miles north of Gainesville on Highway 5. Everyone is invited to join in on the fun. For more information, call Mike Vlad at 720-205-0790.

 

Halloween night

Bakersfield trunk-or-treat

Bakersfield’s trunk-or-treat will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Pride Park Pavilion. Those handing out candy can set up as early as 4:30 p.m. Fun for all ages is planned, and prizes will be awarded for the best decorated trunk.

 

Bakersfield’s 13th annual Harvest Festival at Pride Park Pavilion

First Baptist Church of Bakersfield will host its 13th annual Harvest Festival from 6 to 8 p.m at the Pride Park Pavilion. There will be games, candy, food and hot drinks including coffee and hot chocolate. Organizers say the event is intended for those from birth to age 80+. For more information, call the church at 417-204-5390 and leave a message or email fbc.bakersfield.mo@gmail.com

 

Gainesville Health Care Center Trick-or-Treat, Gainesville

Gainesville Health Care Center, on Highway 160 west of Gainesville, will host trick-or-treating from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Organizers invite all little ghosts and goblins to visit the health care center in costume with a treat bag in tow. For more information call GHCC at 417-679-4921.

 

Lutie School Trunk-or-Treat, Theodosia

Lutie School will host trunk-or-treat from 5 to 6 p.m. in the school parking lot. Community members, organizations and school clubs are encouraged to participate in handing out candy. Those who plan to hand out candy are asked to contact the school at 417-273-4150 beforehand to make arrangements. 

 

Ozark County’s annual Trunk-or-Treat on the Gainesville square

 Ozark County’s eighth annual Trunk-or-Treat will be held on the Gainesville square from 6 to 8 p.m. Area residents are encouraged to participate in passing out candy from their decorated car trunks. Sign-up is not required to pass out candy; just show up before 5:45 p.m., when the square will be roped off and closed to traffic.  

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423