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Reprint Courtesy of the Arlington Star-Telegram
Alone in the Dark? Not likely at Arlington's
popular, family-style Halloween festival
Arlington, Texas — October 17, 2003
AMANDA ROGERS
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Trick-or-treating tykes looking for a new haunt this Halloween
can give their costumes a test run at After Dark in the Park
at River Legacy Parks in Arlington. The annual event lets
young goblins from ages 2 to 12 have all the fun of Halloween
without the fright. "We wanted to offer the community
an alternative to Halloween," says Amy Walker, fund development
director for the River Legacy Foundation. "There's so
much going on that's not appropriate for young children. "We
also wanted to bring people to the science center," Walker
says. "We incorporate our nature programming into the
activities. "The activities are more than a dozen crafts
and games, a bounce house, Radio Disney, food, pumpkins, karaoke
and more. Kristine Schultz, fund- development assistant for
the River Legacy Foundation, has rounded up 200 hay bales,
1,500 pumpkins and 50 pounds of peanuts.
The peanuts will have holes bored through the center to allow
children to string them on pipe cleaners, then hang them from
trees for bird food." A lot of the crafts and activities
are ones we use in our educational programs," Schultz
says. Most activities are free, with small fees for food,
pumpkins and any merchandise, such as glow-in-the-dark necklaces.
New activities this year include the Fort Worth Astronomers,
who will be trying to get a bead on Mars, if the weather cooperates.A
three-day event, After Dark in the Park draws about 5,000
people. This
year, the event opens at 5 instead of 6 p.m. The extra hour
at the beginning should be a good time to avoid the masses,
because many people will just be getting off work. Between
9 and 10 p.m., too, the crowds taper off, Walker says. Parking
is free, and so is the hay-wagon ride from the parking area
to the center.
After Dark in the Park
5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 5-9 p.m. Sunday
River Legacy Parks
703 N.W. Green Oaks Blvd. in Arlington
$4; ages 2 and younger free
(817) 860-6752
www.riverlegacy.org
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Copyright 2003 Star-Telegram, Inc.
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