Frighteningly Fun Family Event

On October 31, we celebrate Halloween. This Spooktacular event evolved from an ancient Celtic holiday. Today, Halloween is more about costumes and candy rather than the fear of ghosts and ghouls. The Celts, who used the day to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, also believed that the change of seasons was a bridge to the world of the dead. Over the centuries, Halloween transitioned from a pagan ritual to a day of parties, costumes, jack-o-lanterns and sweets for kids and adults.

The estuary's staff at GTM Research Reserve hosted the first "EstuSCARY Festival and Haunted Forest Trail" last year. It was so popular that this year they're hosting a two-day celebration on Oct. 27-28 from 6-9 p.m. If you live in the Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Nocatee or St. Augustine areas, I recommend you come out for this frighteningly fun Halloween event!

There will be kid-friendly booths, candy, popcorn, and Streaming the Bullet Food Truck with some delicious food. Be sure to bring some cash for snacks. The EstuSCARY Festival is free to attend and opens at 6 p.m. Starting at 7 p.m., those with tickets can board a hayride to the Haunted Forest Trails. That is based on the time slot you purchased. I suggest you go online to buy a ticket and reserve your spot.

The rangers at the Reserve have been working hard creating all the scary scenes along the forest trail. I promise, they won't be t-o-o scary!

This frighteningly fun evening is at the GTM Research Reserve's Environmental Education Center, 505 Guana River Road in Ponte Vedra Beach.

See you at the EstuSCARY!