Fall signals Great Pumpkin Carnival and Tree Lighting Festival

By Stephanie Yost
President, Idyllwild Community Center

Fall in the mountain communities welcomes two major traditional events, which in recent years the Idyllwild Community Center (ICC) has put on.

The first is Idyllwild’s annual Great Pumpkin Carnival. With no sidewalks, few streetlights and many second homes, door-to-door trick-or-treating isn’t done much on the Hill. Instead, for many decades community volunteers have put on a carnival for local and visiting ghouls and goblins of all ages.

While some aspects of the event have evolved over the years, most remain the same.

The Great Pumpkin Carnival and parade starts at 4:15 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, at Fern Valley Corners located at the top of North Circle Drive. Costumed children parade down North Circle toward the center of town to the boisterous cheers (and candy donations) of family and friends, as well as residents and visitors.

At 2 p.m., North Circle Drive, Park Lane and a short section of Village Center Drive in the center of town around Idy Park will close to vehicle traffic as the area will be filled with costumed children and adults who collect trick-or-treat candy from local businesses and enjoy the special food booths and fun.

Immediately after the parade is the Great Pumpkin Carnival at Idy Park.

A $5 fee allows carnival goers to participate in Halloween-themed activities and play numerous carnival games for prizes. A face painter, bouncy-house slide, and costume contests with prizes courtesy of the Rustic Theater and Idyllwild Brewpub in six categories broken down by age group also are part of the fun.

The Great Pumpkin Carnival lasts until about 7 p.m. Community organizations hosting carnival booths this year include Rotary, Soroptimists, Mountain Disaster Preparedness, Idyllwild Association of Realtors, Art Alliance of Idyllwild, Friends of the Nature Center, Idyllwild Bible Church, Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit, ICC and first-time booth host Idyllwild Brewpub.

Mountain Community Patrol will provide traffic support, and deputy mayors Mikey and Mitzi and their staff will be there, too.

The second major fall event on the Hill sponsored by ICC is the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, which starts at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26 (the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend), in Idy Park. This will be the fourth year that all eight trees in Idy Park will be lit courtesy of various local businesses’ and groups’ sponsorships.