Businesses around downtown Harrisonburg are getting ready to celebrate spooky season Saturday with the city’s annual Skeleton Fest.
During the festival, the Friendly City’s historic district will be taken over by spirits of the night. Main Street will be closed to traffic through downtown, allowing attendees to fill the normally busy roads. The family-friendly event will include trick-or-treating on Mason Street and Liberty Street from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., a costume contest, and a “sip and stroll” for anyone who wants to sample bars across downtown.
While the festival is still focused on Halloween, other fall traditions will also be celebrated. The Friendly City Food Co-op will host a harvest party, and Cambiando Vidas will organize a community ofrenda at the Jimmy Madison’s parking lot on South Main Street, in observance of Dia de los Muertos.
“HDR designed Skeleton Festival to be an all-ages, Halloween-themed event to both bring the community together and to attract tourists to celebrate the holiday while also fostering community pride and attachment, economic development,” said Andrea L. Dono, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance’s executive director. “This is another opportunity for people to come downtown to make lasting memories and for us to show off what downtown has to offer so they keep coming back.”
The costume contest will begin at 4 p.m. and will be at Court Square. The contest will be split into five age groups, as well as a separate category for group costumes.
In addition to trick-or-treating on Mason Street and Liberty Street, a sensory-friendly trick-or-treat will be at the Shops at Agora.
