Holy Halloween, Batman
Church isn't just a place where you can get spiritual guidance.
It's a place where you can get candy, play games and wear a costume, too.
Area churches, again, are planning activities for kids on Halloween night. Games, music and prizes will be in store for children who head out with parents Wednesday.
And they will come. By the thousands.
"We're offering the community a safe place to take their kids," said Joe Tuttle, youth pastor at Heart of the City Church, which is having a "Fall Family Fun Fest" 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.
About 2,000 children, moms and dads attended the free event last year. This year, it will feature pie eating, a chili cookoff, mechanical bull ride contest, jumping castles, games, free food, music and a petting zoo.
"There will be no lack of candy and fun," Tuttle said.
Other churches also are throwing harvest parties and inviting the public. Organizers say it's a chance to open their doors to those who might not regularly attend Sunday services, and give them an opportunity to get to know more about a church. And, of course it's a chance to just have some fun.
Each October Dalton Gardens Church of Christ members transform their trunks into treat centers.
Vehicle trunks are decorated for kids to collect candy and other treats in one swipe.
It's part of the church's family-filled Trunk or Treat, which will be 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday as a Halloween alternative event.
"I brought it with me from Texas," said Michael Lewis, senior minister, of the trunk connection to the carnival. "It's something we used to do down there with great success. It allows kids to get in 30 minutes what they would from going two hours door to door."
At the Dalton Gardens church, there will also be a donkey for kids to pet, a guess-the-weight-of-the-pumpkin contest and bike giveaways.
The event has been held for five years and each year it grows by about 50 people, Lewis said. Roughly 400 attended last year.
"Pretty big for a church our size," he said. "I'm not sure how much bigger we'll be able to get."
The idea is to offer a warm, safe place for kids.
"There's a growing number of parents who are a little leery about having their children on the streets and what they may run across," Lewis said. "We're trying to take witches, vampires and zombies out of it and emphasize a family fun in a safe environment."
He said the church is available to support citizens in need, but the event isn't to draw people back.
"We're always happy for people to come check us out on Sundays, but there's no strings attached," Lewis said. "You're not going to get on some mailing list or there won't be people knocking on your door. We want people to come and feel safe and not worry about what will happen."
Church events include:
* Real Life Ministries Harvest Carnival, 5-8 p.m., games, candy and prizes, 1866 Cecil Road, Post Falls, 777-7325. (For middle schoolers, a carnival will be 5-8 p.m. at the RLM 1 building in the upper room.)
* Real Life Ministries, Coeur d'Alene, 610 N. Fourth St. 5-8 p.m. Candy, games. free.
* North Country Chapel Harvest Carnival, 4-8 p.m., candy, games, prizes, 2281 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls, 773-7100.
* Truck or Treat, Dalton Gardens Church of Christ, 6439 N. Fourth, 5-7 p.m., treats, games, hot dogs, prizes, bike drawings, 772-0541.
* Candlelight Fellowship and the Silver Lake Mall are teaming up for a "safe, fun, family time" from 5:30-8 p.m. There will be games for all ages, face painting, a pumpkin search with a chance to win great prizes and of course lots of candy for the trick or treaters.
For those not planning to visit a church for Halloween fun and games, there is always trick or treating in downtown Coeur d'Alene starting at 4 p.m., and Post Falls City Hall, 2-5 p.m.
And you can always try the Halloween tradition of putting on a costume, joining up with friends, and knocking on neighborhood doors in hopes the folks inside are in the spirit of giving out candy.
And there are still spooky stops including Scarywood at Silverwood Theme Park, the Haunted House by the Post Falls Lions Club, Fourth and Post, 6-10 p.m. and the Tunnel of Terror: Haunted hay bale tunnel, 7980 W. Diagonal Road just north of Rathdrum off Highway 41, 7 p.m.-midnight.