Wind and rain put a terrifying damper on the Franklin Fall Festival earlier this year.
So Franklin Parks and Recreation hopes to scare up some good weather this weekend for its other autumn-time celebration, HalloweenTown.
After stormy weather from Hurricane Helene in late September forced the cancellation of the Fall Festival, organizers are weaving in some of that events most beloved activities with the HalloweenTown celebration.
All day Saturday, people can enjoy HalloweenTown favorites such as the Howl-O-Ween pet costume contest, as well as the Trick Your Trunk trick-or-treating event and appearances by Indiana horror legend Sammy Terry. But Fall Festival activities such as the Rock the Block event, the Dachshund Derby and a concert by country rocker Corey Cox have been woven into the fabric of the event.
The blending of the two events takes some of the sting out of the Fall Festival being canceled, while creating a supersized weekend event the whole community can enjoy, said Courtney Bohling, recreation coordinator for Franklin Parks and Recreation.
“We wanted to combine everything that we could,” Bohling said. “We spend so much time planning for the Fall Festival, so this was really a good opportunity to roll it all into one. Everyone loves the Fall Festival, so we wanted to be able to provide some of the stuff we provide there at an event, if we could make it work.”
HalloweenTown has been an October tradition since it was created by Franklin’s parks department in 2018. Organizers used a $2,500 grant from Festival Country Indiana, the county’s tourism organization, to stitch together a few other longtime Halloween traditions into a single event.
The parks department had organized a Halloween-themed 5K on a late-October Friday, and planned the traditional trunk-or-treat event the following night on Saturday. But organizers decided it made more sense to combine the two on one day, rather than spread it out over two.
The inaugural event was a hit, with hundreds of people flocking to the downtown square to take part. Though following years have proved challenging, due to weather and the pandemic, last year brought a return to normalcy, as costumed kids and adults enjoyed a beautiful day, Bohling said.
“We have all the things that kids love, and when you have kids come out, you have more families coming out,” she said. “Everything is free for everyone to participate in, so families can come have fun.”
This year’s event again features the centerpiece activities that have made it so popular. The day starts with Rock the Block, a mile-long combination walk-dance serving as a fundraiser for the Moyra McCain Memorial Foundation. The foundation was created in honor of McCain, a Franklin Community High School student who died in a 2018 automobile crash.
The course will start at Franklin’s skate park and end at the DriveHubler.com Amphitheater, just in time for the Halloween Hustle, a 5K run or walk, with an option for a 1-mile family fun walk as well. This year’s race will start at the Paris Trail Head bridge behind the DriveHubler.com Amphitheater and weaving through the city.
Those looking to take a break from the excitement can catch one of two screenings of “Ghost and Mr. Chicken,” a classic comedy starring Don Knotts as a town dunce spending the night in a haunted house featured at the Historic Artcraft Theatre this weekend.
A favorite event at Halloween Town is the Howl-O-Ween pet costume contest, with local residents bringing their furry friends dressed in their best costumes. As a lead in, organizers will host the Dachshund Derby. Some of the area’s fastest wiener dogs put their skills to the test during the short race, which is hosted by the Humane Society of Johnson County.
Kids activities, including lawn games, crafts and a cake walk, start in the afternoon.
Around the same time, HalloweenTown welcomes the Master of Scaremonies — Sammy Terry.
The character was created by Bob Carter, a producer, director and performer at WTTV Channel 4 in Indianapolis. From 1962 to 1989, Carter would don the creepy makeup and hooded cape, introducing that week’s spooky film on Nightmare Theater. Together with his sidekick, a rubber spider named George, he would mix humor and horror in a way that kids and adults found exhilarating.
Even after Nightmare Theater went off the air, Carter continued to portray Sammy Terry until 2010. His son, Mark Carter, took over, and has done public appearances, festivals and television specials ever since.
Throughout the history of the Halloween Town event, Sammy Terry has been a hit, Bohling said.
Shortly after, downtown businesses will pass out candy during Trick The Town while kids can hit up decorated displays during Trick Your Trunk, which both start at 5:30 p.m. The trunk-or-treat bonanza features community members giving out candy from their own specially decorated vehicles. Prizes will be awarded for the best “tricked” trunks.
“It’s great to have the kids support the businesses through Trick the Town and support those who don’t have a brick-or-mortar at Trick Your Trunk,” Bohling said.
Everything wraps up with a concert by Cox from 6 to 8 p.m.
“We were able to get Corey Cox to come back out for a two-hour show. It’ll be a good turnout, we hope,” Bohling said.
IF YOU GO
Halloween Town
When: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: DriveHubler.com Amphitheater at Young’s Creek Park, 161 W. Monroe St., Franklin
Schedule
9 a.m.: Rock Around the Block. registration starts at 8.
10 a.m.: Halloween Hustle 5K Run/Walk and 1-mile family fun walk, registration starts at 9 a.m.
1 to 2:30 p.m.: Howl-O-Ween pet costume contest and Dachshund Derby registration, parks tent
2:30 p.m.: Dachshund Derby begins
4 p.m.: Howl-O-Ween pet costume contest
2 to 4 p.m.: Sammy Terry, main stage
2 and 7:30 p.m.: “Ghost and Mr. Chicken,” the Historic Artcraft Theatre, 57 N. Main St.
3 to 5 p.m.: Kids activities; Sammy Terry
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.: Trick-the-Town, downtown Franklin businesses; Trick Your Trunk
6 to 8 p.m.: Corey Cox
Information: franklinparks.org
