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RIPLEY – The City of Ripley will hold its inaugural Spooktacular Fall Festival Saturday, Oct. 28.
The Halloween celebration starts at 10 a.m. with a welcome ceremony at the courthouse lawn gazebo. Following the ceremony will be several entertainment acts including Cade McCoy, Amber Johnson Cheerleaders, River Rats Band and Taryn Newsom.
"This is our first Spooktacular Fall Festival, and it has just grown and grown with a total of 40 vendors that will be set up on the courthouse lawn," Ripley Mayor Carolyn Rader said. "Originally we had the Fall Chocolate Festival, but our chocolatiers were just so busy, so we expanded it to be this event. When I first announced it, we didn't have a name for it, so that's when the chief of police and the other police officers named it the Spooktacular."
The Spooktacular Fall Festival activities include a pumpkin pie-eating contest, pumpkin carving at the library, carriage rides from the Starcher Mansion and a Monster Bash. The Monster Bash includes several activities within the streets of Ripley along with music from DJ Donnie Allen. Rounding out the night will be Kate Boytek performing at the Alpine Theatre.
Boytek is a native West Virginia artist from Logan who is pursuing her music career in Nashville. She recently premiered a music video for her new song "Anywhere" on CMT.com, which was filmed in Charleston with the help of the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau for whom she is an ambassador and spokesperson.
"We're very excited to have Kate join us for the fall festival," Rader said. "We're glad that Kate is sharing her weekend with us."
Ripley's Spooktacular Fall Festival will also include eats and treats, pumpkin and face painting, a pumpkin-decorating contest, inflatables with games and prizes and a pet pageant and parade.
"It's going to be a fun-filled day all day so be sure to bring your costume," said Rader. "I can't wait to see how this event will go, and then we'll make it bigger and better next year."
For more information or questions about the event call the City of Ripley at 304-372-3482 or visit the City of Ripley, WV, Facebook Page.
-SCHEDULE OF EVENTS-
* 10 a.m. – Welcome at the gazebo; pet parade and pageant registration
* 10:15 a.m. – Cade McCoy
* 11 a.m. – Amber Johnson Cheerleaders; pet pageant, parade to follow
* 11 a.m. to noon – Pumpkin-Decorating Contest registration
* 11:30 a.m. – River Rats Band
* 12:30 p.m. – Pumpkin-Decorating Contest judging
* 1 p.m. – Taryn Newsome; Pumpkin Pie-Eating Contest
* 4-6 p.m. – Halloween Party and Pumpkin Carving at the Jackson County Public Library
* 5-9 p.m. – Carriage Rides from the mansion running to the courthouse
* 6-8 p.m. – Trunk or Treat at Ripley Elementary; Monster Bash – costume contest, music, dancing and prizes
* 7 p.m. – Kate Boytek at the Alpine Theatre
* Saturday and Sunday – Haunted Trail at the Jackson County Fairgrounds
Gretchen Dowler can be reached at gdowler@newsandsentinel.com