Fort Smith’s ‘Ghouls on Garrison’ invitations households downtown for Halloween enjoyable

Fort Smith is internet hosting its annual downtown trick-or-treating occasion. Amanda Hager is the chief director of Main Street Fort Smith. She spoke with Ozarks at Large over Zoom final week to elucidate what’s taking place down Garrison Avenue on Halloween night time.

Amanda Hager: We are having Ghouls on Garrison, which is an annual custom. It’s a family-friendly trick-or-treating occasion that occurs yearly in downtown Fort Smith. Of course, Garrison Avenue is our major thoroughfare, in order that’s why it’s Ghouls on Garrison. It’s from 5 to eight p.m. on Halloween night time. We often get hundreds of contributors yearly, so we anticipate it to be hopping. One of the very best components is it’s family-friendly, so we not solely encourage the children to decorate up however the adults too. Families can come out collectively.

Jack Travis: Is something new this 12 months?

Hager: There’s nothing that’s new this 12 months. It’s sort of a type of occasions that simply organically tends to occur by itself, which is absolutely enjoyable. People gravitate towards downtown throughout the vacation season as a result of that is the guts of our metropolis, our historic metropolis heart. People simply are likely to gravitate towards downtown anyway when holidays and issues are taking place. So, there’s nothing new, however we do anticipate a giant crowd from 5 to eight, particularly that 5 to 7 time interval.

I’ll say that what’s sort of new this 12 months is there are another occasions taking place across the identical time as Ghouls on Garrison, which is cool. Immaculate Conception Church, which is correct on the high of Garrison Avenue, is having a giant Halloween occasion that’s for the neighborhood. If you’re on Garrison Avenue, you’ll be able to head as much as Immaculate Conception and expertise that.

One occasion that’s new this 12 months—that’s not one thing Main Street is doing however is occurring on the identical time—is over on the Wyndham, the place they’re doing Hotel of Horrors. It really begins at 8, and it’s for adults, however they’ve babysitting, so you will get a reduced worth to remain in a single day, go to the grownup occasion, and get some babysitting. So, you understand, come and do Ghouls on Garrison with the children, after which there’s an grownup factor after too, which is neat, and that’s new this 12 months.

Travis: Can you spotlight among the companies that will probably be collaborating in Ghouls on Garrison this 12 months?

Hager: One of the issues that I feel is most particular about Ghouls on Garrison is it actually offers our neighborhood a possibility to fulfill native enterprise homeowners and the employees that work at these institutions downtown. My workplace is on Garrison Avenue. I work downtown, clearly, and I really like being a part of this neighborhood. It’s very particular to be downtown. It’s only a totally different vibe. We’re all very close-knit. So, it’s actually an superior expertise for the neighborhood to get to fulfill these people and for the companies to get to fulfill extra neighborhood members.

We really put collectively a map of the collaborating companies, and we are going to launch it on Oct. 27, in order that’s the Monday earlier than Halloween. That’s on our web site, Main Street Fort Smith, and you can even discover it on our socials at Main Street Fort Smith. We have Instagram and Facebook and are very lively there.

In every block of Garrison, there’s not less than one collaborating enterprise. There are additionally some companies collaborating on Brunwick, simply off tenth Street. So, it’s not simply on Garrison—there are literally another companies collaborating as effectively.

Travis: Why is it essential, or perhaps even crucial, to have municipal occasions along with conventional neighborhood trick-or-treating?

Hager: That’s a terrific query. I discussed that you simply get to fulfill the enterprise homeowners while you come downtown, and I feel that’s actually the additional layer you get that perhaps you don’t see in a neighborhood occasion. Of course, within the neighborhood, you’re going to fulfill some neighbors you’ve by no means met earlier than, otherwise you’re going to go go to a good friend’s neighborhood, and that’s nice. We love assembly our neighbors in that extra condensed space.

But these are small enterprise homeowners. These are people who find themselves your neighbors, however they’re additionally making a dwelling by being small enterprise homeowners and contributing to our native economic system in that house. That’s actually essential—that we as a neighborhood take stewardship and possession to assist our small enterprise homeowners.

This is only a nice, free, simple method to meet them. Walk up and down Garrison Avenue, see what’s new in case you haven’t been right here shortly. I feel that’s the additional layer of what’s essential about doing a lot of these occasions—to see what companies are there and help our small enterprise homeowners.

Travis: Yeah, and I like that it begins at 5 p.m. as a result of you’ll be able to go do that, perhaps do the haunted resort, after which you’ll be able to nonetheless have some enjoyable in your individual neighborhood.

Hager: Yeah, completely. Come out to Garrison, trick-or-treat right here, after which head to the neighborhood earlier than you return to the home and gobble up all of the sweet.

Travis: And lastly, Amanda, I’m assuming that you simply’ll be there downtown.

Hager: You know, I’m going to do the identical factor. I’ve a younger baby, and it’s actually going to be the primary 12 months that he’s into it. Last 12 months he was like, “What? Trick-or-treating? I don’t get it.” He’s nearly 3, so we’re going to do the identical factor. We’re going to return downtown, trick-or-treat downtown, after which head again to our neighborhood and trick-or-treat there too. We get to do all of the issues. I get to see all my mates downtown after which say hello to the neighbors.

Travis: Do you and your son have costumes deliberate but?

Hager: I actually needed to be Cinderella and Gus Gus—the little mouse. I’ve tried to place the ears on him, and he’s not likely into it. So, he might find yourself within the pajamas that sort of seem like Gus Gus, and perhaps I’ll be Cinderella. I even have a skeleton outfit, and he has skeleton pajamas, so we’ve backups.

That was Main Street Fort Smith’s Amanda Hager talking with Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis.