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Butcher Bend Autumn Festival celebrates Halloween

Lance the goat dressed up as a dragon to share in the Halloween festivities at the Butcher Bend Autumn Festival in Mineral Wells. (Photo by James Dobbs)

MINERAL WELLS — The Butcher Bend Autumn Festival had a turnout of volunteers, members of the community, and children wearing costumes on Friday in honor of Halloween.

The festival, which began last weekend and concludes Saturday, features a haunted barn, a live farm display, hayrides, games, a slime lab, and a costume contest.

The Butcher Bend Autumn Festival Inc. used to be a part of the West Virginia Interstate Fair Board, but now has its own board. It is still held at the West Virginia Interstate Fairgrounds on Butcher Bend Road at Mineral Wells.

Kyle Pierce, president of Butcher Bend Autumn Festival Inc., has been helping with the festival for six years, and has been the president since 2019. Pierce said that the event has been going on for 20 years.

“This is like the first official festival year, because we broke it off from the fair,” he said.

Decorations used for the haunted barn at the Butcher Bend Autumn Festival in Mineral Wells. (Photo by James Dobbs)

Pierce said the festival used to be a fundraiser for the West Virginia Interstate Fair, but it split so both the festival and fair could receive more grants and get more funding for the events.

The haunted barn is like a dark spooky maze that is hard to find your way out of.

“The barn is about the best part of the festival, I think,” he said. “Kids really enjoy the barn.”

Pierce said there will be a special live performance event, on Saturday, during the last day of the festival.

Saturday’s schedule includes:

Decorated pumpkins that will be in the pumpkin contest at the Butcher Bend Autumn Festival in Mineral Wells. (Photo by James Dobbs)

* 7 p.m.: Gate opens; Trunk or Treat; Haunted Barn and Hay ride open

* 7:15 p.m.: Slime Lab and Kids Activities open; Games open

* 8:30 p.m.: Trunk or Treat ends

* 9 p.m.: Costume Contest; Pumpkin Contest judging

* 9:30 p.m.: Rubber Ducky drawing

A werewolf lurks in the haunted barn at the Butcher Bend Autumn Festival in Mineral Wells. (Photo by James Dobbs)

* 9:45 p.m.: Raffle drawing

* 10 p.m.: Grounds close

Channing Hopkins, 1, observes the backyard chickens at the Butcher Bend Autumn Festival in Mineral Wells. (Photo by James Dobbs)

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