JARED BARTON THE COLUMBUS TELEGRAM
Halloween has prompted many parties, get-togethers, outings and community gatherings. This year, for Connection Christian Church and Ag Park, it brings with it a Halloween carnival that is a first for both organizations.
Rev. Mike Moser said the idea came from one of the church members, Amber Furby, who works at the Ag Park and made a suggestion to her manager while they were thinking of a fun fall activity to host.
“When the Ag Park wanted to do something for Halloween, they thought of the church, they had seen the things we had done in the community and thought we would do a good job with this and asked if we would be interested in participating,” Moser said.
Furby said she got the idea from the church’s previous Halloween events, when the church was located in the Northtown Mall and before COVID-19 was a concern.
People are also reading…
“We’ve always had Halloween outreach for our church, this time the Ag Park had a donation and was wondering if we wanted to come together and do something for the community,” Furby said.
Ag Park General Manager Sarah Middleton said the Ag Park has wanted to do some sort of Halloween or fall-themed activity for several years, but the timing never works out.
“We’ve wanted to do like a trunk or treat or something in previous years, but we’ve always talked about it too late,” Middleton said. “This year we brought it to the board’s attention early and got approval.”
The carnival, Moser said, consists of several games built by volunteers at the church, as well as several games involving small pumpkins.
“They can be anything from a ring toss in a horse race, little ponies that can get around. We have inflatables, bounce house and obstacle course, also a regular obstacle course where they have to navigate through things,” Moser said.
Participants can also get their faces painted by Revolution, a group of teenagers from the Survivor Center, or paint a pumpkin to take home, provided by Daniels Produce.
“It’s going to be fun, a good time to see people, meet people and spread the Halloween spirit,” Furby said.
For the older crowd, there will be ball games like gaga ball and nine square in the air and a hayrack ride too. The goal, Moser said, is to provide a safe and low-cost event for families in the community.
“We understand there’s a lot of activity out there and we’re at a time where it seems like everybody’s picking up pennies,” Moser said. “The cost of things is going up so we want to be able to offer low cost family activities in a safe environment where you don’t have to worry about bringing your kids outside.
The event is free and will last from 18:00 to 20:30 on October 28. For those who want to eat at the carnival, there will be concessions at a low cost.
“You don’t have to eat before you come, just get the kids in their costumes and walk out the door. We’ll have hot dogs, fries, pretzels, popcorn, lots of food and drink options,” Moser said.
The carnival, Moser said, is an extension of the community. In a time where going door to door and knocking can be a bit unsettling or unsafe, these types of events give people something else to do and an opportunity to meet the church.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to really give back to the community and let them know, ‘We’re here, we care,’ and if something happens in your life and you’re looking for a little bit of hope, maybe you’ll think back to us,” Moser said.
