Halloween chills and thrills begin on Friday

Published 7:00 pm Wednesday, October 26, 2005

The island takes Halloween seriously, offering a cauldron of candy- and costume-infused gatherings beginning this Friday.

Some activities invite the ghoulish guests to enjoy themselves while helping those in need; others are purely for fun.

Here is a round-up of the events that are sure to thrill ghosts, goblins and super heroes of all ages:

• Halloween Potluck – The Senior Center hosts a Halloween Potluck Party from 4-7 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Bainbridge Commons on Brien Drive. Dance to live music by Lauren Petrie – in costume or not – and enjoy homemade soup, bread and desserts. All ages are welcome. Suggested donation is $5. Information: 842-1616.

• Kids Halloween House – The BI Teen Center invites children to a non-scary Halloween house from 4-8 p.m. Oct. 28 and 29 at the Teen Center. Admission is $5 plus a nonperishable food donation for Helpline House. Costumes are encouraged. The center is behind Bainbridge High School, near the stadium. Information: 780-9622.

• Wilkes Halloween Carnival – The 20th annual event will take place from 1 to 6 p.m. Oct. 29 at the school on North Madison Avenue. This highly anticipated event is one of the school’s largest fund-raisers. Featured are rooms of games and prizes, a bouncy house, a cake walk, the Treasure Island Raffle and the infamous fourth-grade haunted house. Tickets are 50 cents each. Most games require one or two tickets. Refreshments such as kettle corn, fresh-baked cookies, chips, milk, chocolate milk and juice will be for sale. Information: 842-4411.

• Hunchback of Notre Dame – Eagle Harbor Congregational Church’s Save the Steeple campaign presents a showing of the 1923 classic silent film “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” starring monster master Lon Chaney at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 in the church fellowship hall, 105 Winslow Way W. Free refreshments and prizes for attendees in costume. Information: 842-4657.

• Halloween Art: Make a Halloween collage from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 29 and 30 at the Kids Discovery Museum. Admission is $5. Information: 855-4650 or www.kidimu.org.

• Halloween Stories – Sit by the fire in IslandWood’s Friendship Circle and hear stories about owls, spiders and other night creatures from 6-7:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at IslandWood, 4450 Blakely Avenue. Light refreshments served. Free. Information: 855-4300.

• Trick-or-Treat Downtown – Winslow merchants invite all island kids to do some trick-or-treating from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 31. Wear costumes and meet your friends for a safe, fun-filled family event. Listen for ghostly tunes from the Eagle Harbor bell tower from 4-5 p.m. Mike Sharp’s band plays live music 5-7 p.m. at the Gazebo on Winslow Green.

Enjoy free hot cider at the Bainbridge Downtown booth. Participating stores will display orange pumpkin posters that say “Trick or Treat Here” in their windows. Thanks go to the Bainbridge Island police department, Kiwanis and Rotary volunteers for traffic safety again this year. Information: Bainbridge Downtown: 842-2982.

• Discovery Museum Haunted House – Start your Halloween downtown trick-or-treat walk with spooky cider and creepy cookies here. The museum will turn into a non-spooky Haunted House from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 31. Presented by the Teen Center, this event is appropriate for all ages and free of charge. Donations will be accepted on behalf of the Teen Center. The museum is at 305 Madison Ave. N. Information: 855-4650 or www.kidimu.org.

• Eagle Harbor Congregation Church – Take a ghostly dinner break and help UNICEF at the Second Annual Chili, Hot Dog and Drink fund-raiser from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 31. Beware the spooky music! The church is at 105 Winslow Way W. Information: Matilda Chamberlain, 780-8021 or ninefing@zipcon.com.

• Commodore West Trick-or-Treating – This community, one of the island’s most popular trick-or-treating sites, again will be decked out for Halloween.

This year, residents are reaching out to help one of their own neighbors, Warren Hudgens, who is battling stage 4 melanoma. Because his insurance doesn’t cover all the costs associated with the experimental treatments he is receiving, the Commodore West neighborhood is accepting donations on his behalf.

Neighbors already set up and contributed to a special American Marine Bank account, which will assist Hudgens, his wife and five children with some expenses. Volunteers will be at donation stations from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31, at the entrance and end of the neighborhood. Information: Roberta Post, 855-8101.