‘Spooky Farm’ at Kalakaua Park

Pumpkins and fun costumes were abundant during the weekend-long “Spooky Farm” at Kalakaua Park in Hilo.

Keiki and families donned costumes while enjoying a free pumpkin patch, activities, food vendors and a haunted house across the street at the East Hawaii Cultural Center.

Lorraine Shin, the volunteer president of the Hilo Downtown Improvement Association, said the group decided to make this Halloween its first official event since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is our first event in a long time as the Downtown Improvement Association, and it’s amazing to see so many people come together downtown,” Shin said. “The kids don’t want to leave, they just want to play and it’s wonderful.”

DIA decided to give each family a pumpkin for free while also offering carving and painting stations. On Friday night, volunteers gave out 200 pumpkins.

While Javier and Mia Colon played their own version of “Connect 4,” the Rodriguez family, dressed as Peter Pan characters, enjoyed shave ice and live entertainment. Community performers were featured on stage throughout the three-day event and everyone was welcome to put down a blanket and enjoy the day. EHCC also opened its doors for attendees to walk through the Terrible Toy Box exhibit, which featured scary toys created by keiki. The DIA offered a scavenger hunt around downtown, so keiki could take part in activities hosted by other organizations.

Shin is already thinking of Christmas for the DIA, hoping to host a larger scavenger hunt and to close the front street of downtown for a small event.

“I would love to see the downtown shops with Christmas-style lights and decorations and to have a nice closed area for local groups and vendors,” Shin said. “I’m going to start planning next week.”

Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com