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Fright filled night

Downtown, CMC events set for Halloween

Zach Fridell
The Screamboat 10 haunted house will continue from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday in Monson Hall, at Colorado Mountain College's Alpine Campus.
Courtesy Photo

If you go

- Colorado Mountain College's Enchanted Castle When: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday Where: Hill Hall Cost: Free, but trick-or-treaters are asked to bring a book to donate for a book drive. Other: The Enchanted Castle is an indoor trick-or-treat route for children of all ages but geared toward elementary students. There will be carnival games and prizes. - CMC's Screamboat 10: Chamber of Horrors When: 6 to 10 p.m. today and Friday Where: Monson Hall Cost: $5 Other: A haunted house for all ages. Young children should be accompanied by an adult. - Downtown Halloween Stroll When: 5 to 7 p.m. Friday Where: Lincoln Avenue will be closed between Fifth Street and 11th Street. Cost: Free Other: The annual tradition includes local businesses handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. - Haven Halloween Festival When: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday Where: The Haven Assisted Living Center, 300 S. Shelton Lane in Hayden Cost: Free Other: Games, entertainment and trick-or-treating for children.

— Let the rush for a sugar rush begin.

Steamboat Springs Halloween festivities are expected to bring out the masses, as Friday’s clear and relatively mild weather buoy the already popular Downtown Stroll, Colorado Mountain College haunted house and Enchanted Castle.

The events begin tonight when students can visit the Enchanted Castle at Colorado Mountain College’s Alpine Campus, themed “Nightmare on Mount Werner.” The event is an indoor night of trick-or-treating for children.



Linda Pruitt, coordinator of student life at CMC, said the event is particularly good for younger children. By visiting about 35 select dorm rooms on campus, Pruitt said the children will receive a stash of candy without having to walk all across town.

“Here it’s much more managed and the little kids don’t get run over” by older kids, she said.



The event is free, but CMC requests that participants bring a book to donate. The donations will be sent to Fiji with a group of faculty members.

“It’s a longstanding tradition at Hill Hall, and it just keeps getting better every year,” Pruitt said.

This is about the 15th year the student-organized event has been held at the college.

Pruitt said she expects a big turnout this year because of the timing. By holding the event a night early, they hope youngsters can attend the CMC event and the Downtown Halloween Stroll, another annual event for trick-or-treaters.

Matt Cardille, owner of Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory on Lincoln Avenue, said his shop is always busy during the Downtown Stroll, and he plans to hand out special sweets.

“It’s not the little dinky candy; it’s big boxes, and we end up spending at least a couple grand,” he said.

This year, Fuzziwig’s will give out WarHeads sour candy, sour belts, gummy penguins, PEZ, suckers and special candy for younger visitors.

“It’s always really busy, but I think it’s going to be especially busy this year,” Cardille predicted.

Mainstreet Steamboat Springs Director Tracy Barnett agreed, citing the expected mild weather, additional light because daylight-saving time has not ended, and the Friday night timing as reasons the stroll could see record numbers.

“It’s not going to be snowing, and kids won’t have to bundle up, so you can see their costumes,” she said.

Barnett said Steamboat residents often get very involved in their Halloween costumes.

“The adults in this community just go bananas, and they get really get elaborate with their costumes,” she said. “The kids make out like bandits.”

The Downtown Stroll is from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday. Lincoln Avenue will be closed from Fifth Street to 11th Street, and most of the shops will hand out goodies, Barnett said. Other merchants outside of those blocks also can offer candy.

For a scarier Halloween event, CMC hosts its annual “Screamboat” haunted house in Monson Hall.

“Screamboat 10: Chamber of Horrors” will be open from 6 to 10 p.m. today and Friday. Hosted by CMC’s SKY Club, an astronomy group, the haunted house also was open last week. The cost is $5 a person.

Jimmy Westlake, sponsor of the club, said the group had 300 visitors in its first three nights, on track to beat the record of 1,009 visitors several years ago.

“We (usually) have between 400 and 500 people just on Halloween, and since it’s not a school night, my guess is we can blow the roof off that night. That’s what my hope is anyway,” he said.

“Screamboat” includes a four-story slide from the entrance to the basement, where visitors will see a UFO crash, a vampire slaying, the Grim Reaper and a surprise at the end. Small children should be accompanied by adults.


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