Campers and businesses in Reston will be enjoying a summer celebration with a spooky twist to signify the end of summer holidays at the Reston Lake and Campground with their 3rd Annual Haunted Happenings event.
Recreation attendant, Whitney Hodgins, started this family-friendly take on trick-or-treating in August back in 2023, during her first summer at the campground.
"It was an idea to end off the summer with a bang," she says. "And because by then it's starting to get into fall and you're starting to see the leaves start to change colors, and are on the ground, I figured, why not do Halloween? And so, over the last couple of years, I've done Haunted Happenings here at the campground!"
Hodgins has brought in community organizations and businesses to set up activity booths so kids can have fun, play games, and share some candy along the way.
"What we do for the kids that show up is there's a trick-or-treating portion, there's activity booths, and some of those booths are manned by organizations from the community at large that have put in volunteers to help out with this," she explains. "And then above and beyond that, we've done draws for just getting community interest."
"But more importantly, it's about the kids, the youth, having something to do right before they go back to school after the September long weekend," she adds.
Camper owners are encouraged to decorate their space for when the kids come trick-or-treating. And kids are encouraged to dress up, just like they would on October 31st.
Hodgins says the event is about bringing a Halloween twist to summer camping, as well as collaboration with the community so these families can see the variety of services that are available to them in the community through the business sector, and the different organizations.
Volunteers are still needed to help with the setting up and organizing of the event. As well, Hodgins welcomes organizations and businesses to join them in providing a fun-filled Halloween summer celebration for these families.
The Haunted Happenings event takes place Friday, August 29th from 2-4 pm at the Reston Lake & Campground.
To contact Whitney Hodgins, email her at: restoncampground@gmail.com
