Hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns, strings of lights stretching off into the distance and some friendly forest creatures can mean only one thing — it’s time for the Wild Things event this weekend (Oct. 24 and 25 from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.) at the Richmond Nature Park.
The popular event, aimed at young children and their families, is back for another year. And visitors will be in for quite a show that is just slightly spooky, said Brenda Bartley-Smith, president of the Richmond Nature Park Society.
“One of our trails will be decorated with jack-o’-lanterns, lights and some wonderful costumed characters to greet the children — everything from raccoons and squirrels, to witches and scarecrows,” Bartley-Smith said. “Meanwhile, inside the nature house there will be storytelling.”
The idea of the event, which started about a decade ago, is to bring Halloween and nature together in one place on the weekend before the little ghosts and goblins get decked out in their own costumes and go trick or treating for goodies.
And to date, it’s been an overwhelming success.
Last year, the Wild Things event drew upwards of 1,000 people each night, although high winds forced the early closure on the Saturday.
With mild weather forecast for the coming weekend, a sizeable number of visitors are expected, making parking at the site a premium.
One the best bets for visitors commuting by car is for the youngsters and an adult to be dropped off at the park and then find parking for their vehicle, if the lot is full, further down Westminster Hwy. as far as Shell Road.
But however you manage to get there, it will be worth the effort, Bartley-Smith said as plenty goes into staging the Wild Things as a large volunteer force lends their hands to getting the site organized.
“With that many pumpkins needing carving, we call on those with an artistic bend to let their imaginations go,” Bartley-Smith said. “The result is quite amazing.”
So, too, is the spin-off traffic that comes from the near-Halloween show.
“We get a lot of people coming back at other times in the year because they’ve either come to the nature park with their school or because of the Wild Things event,” Bartley-Smith said. “And now we’re getting the multi-generations — grandparents who brought their kids and are now bring their grandchildren.”
All children attending must be accompanied by an adult.
Cost for the event is $2 for children three-years-old and up; adults are $3.
Families of four are $10, and children under three are free.
Strollers are welcome. The Richmond Nature Park is at 11851 Westminster Hwy.
For more information, call 604-718-6188 or email [email protected].
