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DOWAGIAC — Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a local farm’s Halloween event will be slightly different this year, but event organizers said they are happy just to have an event at all.

Hidden Acres Farm, 50582 Pleasant Road, Dowagiac, will host a Trunk or Treat from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and an Artisan Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30.

The event, which began in 2017, did not occur in 2020.

“We’re super excited,” said Dawn East, who co-owns Hidden Acres with cousin Heather Matthews. “We were so bummed that we couldn’t do it last year.”

The Artisan Market, which will include food, art, antique and craft vendors, will replace the traditional Fall Festival for precautionary reasons related to the pandemic.

“With the rise of COVID again, we decided to forego the festival part of it,” East said. “It was a lot of fun for the kids, but everything is hands-on and we would have to disinfect everything.”

East hopes the children are not disappointed with the decision, but said disinfecting after every child was too much to ask the volunteers given the number of children are likely to attend.

The trunk-or-treating will be hosted in the pasture where the farm animals typically roam free, but the animals will still be around for the children to enjoy. Cups of animal feed can be purchased for $1, with proceeds going toward veterinary care and food for the animals, as well as other funding for the farm.

“We cannot explain how grateful we are to each and every one of you who visited the farm this summer,” said the organizers, on the event Facebook page. “It saddens us to think that all of this fun has to end and we would like to thank you for all of your support.”

For those who wish to donate a trunk or a treat, contact Hidden Acres on Facebook or at (269) 377-9759.

The farm also will host a pumpkin carving event from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16. For $10, attendees can purchase a pumpkin to carve and then feed the “guts” to the animals. Cider and a snack will be included with the pumpkin purchase. Attendees are asked to pre-register on the event’s Facebook page.

 

Other area events

• TK Lawless Park, 15122 Monkey Run Street, Vandalia, will host a harvest fest and trunk or treat on Oct. 16. The festival will run from 2-5 p.m., with Trunk-or-Treating from 3-4 p.m. Other activities include hayrides, face painting, a costume contest and more.
• The city of Dowagiac will host its regular trick-or-treating hours from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31
• Sister Lakes Community Church, 67119 M-152, Dowagiac, will host trunk-or-treating from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31.
• Liberty Chapel Pentecostal, 309 Dewey St., Dowagiac, will host its Fall Festival at 5 p.m. Oct. 30. There will be food, games, arts and crafts.