Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer announced that the city of El Dorado will observe Halloween on Saturday.
The holiday falls on Sunday and during a recent El Dorado City Council meeting, Smith-Creer said she had received several inquiries about when Halloween would be observed in the city this year.
Smith-Creer encouraged families to trick-or-treat and participate in other holiday-themed activities that are scheduled over the weekend and on Sunday.
"For people who have been asking, so everyone will know, we will be celebrating Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 30 ...," she said. "Most people will be having their activities on the 30th and I know several people have asked about that."
Several Halloween activities are scheduled for today, including:
• 3 - 5 p.m., Trick-Or-Treat Safe Stops, presented by Noalmark Broadcasting in a partnership with several businesses in El Dorado, Union County, Camden and Magnolia. For more information or for a list of participating businesses, visit the Noalmark Broadcasting Facebook page.
• 6 - 8 p.m., Drive Thru Trick or Treat, El Dorado Missionary Baptist Church, 3014 E. Main.
• 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Frighty Night at the Movies with the South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society, Newton House Museum, 510 N. Jackson Ave. "The Creature From the Black Lagoon" is the feature film and the event will include free hot dogs and s'mores "around the bonfire." Attendees are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs, coolers and blankets. For more information or to be added to the headcount, call 870-862-9890.
• 9 - 11 p.m., Hotshots Halloween Bash, Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill, 601 Timberlane. A customer costume contest will begin at 9 p.m., with a $100 cash prize going to the first-place winner and a $50 Hotshots gift card awarded to the second-place winner. A Hotshots Girl Costume Contest will follow. The crowd will pick the top three finalists and a group of judges will pick the winners. The night will include drink specials.
A host of Halloween and fall-themed activities are planned throughout the day on Saturday. They include:
• 8 - 11 a.m., Pumpkin Day @ MAD Farmers Market, MAD Amphitheater Pavilion, 105 E. Locust. Children will be able to paint pumpkins to take home on a first come, first served basis. The event will also include games and an opportunity for fall photos. A variety of market vendors will be on-site. For more information, call 870-444-3007.
• 9 - 10 a.m., Tree Scavenger Hunt, South Arkansas Arboretum, 501 Timberlane. Attendees are invited to explore the arboretum and participate in a tree scavenger hunt with a park interpreter from the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources. Admission is free. Participants are asked to follow coronavirus (COVID-19) safety guidelines. To sign up or for more information, call 870-725-2877. The hunt will be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
• 10 a.m. - noon, Boos and Booze, Too Spoiled Rotten, 207 E. Main. The event will include treats, drinks and photos.
• 11 a.m. - noon, Tinker Time with Kids: Spooky Spiders!, Arkansas Museum of Natural History, 4087 Smackover Hwy. The event is free and registration is required. To reserve a spot, call 870-725-2877.
• Noon - 4 p.m., Scare on the Square, presented by Main Street El Dorado and the Downtown Business Association. Families with children are invited to trick or treat with downtown businesses. The event will include a kids' costume pageant, with an entry fee of $10 per contestant; the Mutt Strut, presented by UCAPS, with an entry fee of $5 per pet; and free hot dogs, popcorn and carnival games provided by First Baptist Church. First Presbyterian Church will also host a carnival in the area of Main and Hill streets.
For more information, call the MSE office at 870-862-4747 or visit the MSE Facebook page or website at mainstreeteldorado.org. Also, call UCAPS at 870-862-0502 for additional information about the Mutt Strut.
• 4 - 6 p.m., Fall Fest, West Side Baptist Church, 2400 W. Hillsboro. The event will include games, food and fun. For a chance to win a $100 Mac's Fresh Market gift card, pre-register at www.westsideeldorado.com.
• 4 - 6 p.m., Trick-Or-Treat Drive-Through at City Hall, rear parking lot, presented by the El Dorado Fire Department in recognition of October as Fire Prevention Month. Perry's Funeral Chapel will host a drive-through trick or treat in conjunction with the EFD.
• 6 - 8 p.m., Trunk or Treat, Gethsemane Baptist Church, 2600 Parnell Road.
• 6 - 10 p.m., "Stranger Things" Theme Night, Three Birds Brewing Company, 1805 N. West Ave. Attendees are invited to dress in 80s outfits or as their favorite "Stranger Things" character.
• 10 - 11:59 p.m., A Freaky Saturday Halloween Costume Party, Elite Bar, 104 W. Cedar, hosted by Mz. Tokyo and Jay O. A $100 cash prize will be awarded for Best Costume. Admission is $10 with a costume and $20 without a costume.
Sunday
• 3 - 5 p.m., Carnival in the Park, Neel Park, Randolph Street, hosted by College Avenue Church of Christ. The free event will include games, booths and free hot dogs.
• 5 - 10 p.m., PJ's Annual Halloween Party, 106 W. Main. The event will include a performance by the CS-Dubb band, a costume contest and drink specials.
The El Dorado Haunt in Parkers Chapel will also begin at 7 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $15 and tickets may be purchased on-site at the ballfields just off Arkansas/Highway 15 in Parkers Chapel.
El Dorado Food Festival
Smith-Creer also issued a reminder about the El Dorado Food Festival, which ends Sunday.
The second annual festival officially kicked off Oct. 1, but discounts and special offers from local restaurants and the opportunity to win prizes, including a $1,000 grand prize, have been available to the public since late August.
The EFF was launched in 2020 as a unique idea to help local eateries whose operations were affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
A statewide mandate prohibited indoor dining at restaurants and bars for several months last year because of the pandemic.
In July, Don Hale, president and owner of the Diamond Agency, approached the El Dorado Advertising and Promotion Commission with a $5,000 funding request to help promote the second annual EFF, saying that local restaurants wanted to continue the non-traditional food festival this year.
Local residents and out-of-town visitors are encouraged to use coupon booklets that contain discounts and special offers from local restaurants.
Most of the coupons expire Sunday.
Coupon users may complete an entry form on the back of the coupons and drop the coupons in collection boxes at participating restaurants for a chance to win $1,000 cash.
The winner will be announced in a drawing that will be held after the festival ends.
For more information, call the Diamond Agency at 870-862-1010.