Halloween in Battle Ground is about to get busier than ever. The city is preparing for its newly renamed Boo Bash, a family-centered celebration that will take over the Battle Ground Community Center and Fairgrounds Park on October 31 from 3 to 6 p.m. The event coincides with the Trick-or-Treat Trail down Main Street, and later in the month, the city will host the Howl-O-Ween Pooch Parade, its annual dog costume contest.
The event now known as Boo Bash was previously called Halloween Fright Night. Joanna Martin, the city’s new Recreation and Facilities Manager, explained the decision to rebrand.
“Coming from the outside, I saw ‘Fright Night’ and I thought we were doing a haunted house because I thought ‘oh it's gonna be this scary like teen event,’” Martin said. “If I'm looking at a list of events and I see Fright Night and I have a kid that is not into scares, that's an event I'm gonna skip,” Martin said. “So we came up with ‘Boo Bash.’”
This year’s schedule for Boo Bash lines up directly with the Trick-or-Treat Trail, which begins at 3 p.m. at the Battle Ground Plaza (Wilco) and stretches east on Main Street to the Community Center. Participating businesses will distribute candy to trick-or-treaters, with those taking part displaying a yellow pumpkin in their storefront windows.
Inside the event center, families can expect the return of well-loved activities, including the Candy Carnival, Trunk-or-Treat and Cakewalk.
Outside, in the east parking lot of the Community Center, the city will host a trunk-or-treat event. Locals decorate their vehicles for Halloween and hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. This tradition enables residents in rural areas, where there may be few neighbors, to participate in the fun.
The C-Tran bus, decorated as a family-friendly haunted bus, will also return this year for families to explore. The haunted vehicle will be parked on Main Street outside of the Event Center.
For those looking to participate, Boo Bash is free to attend. Parking will be available in the north Fairgrounds lot and at the Little League fields off NE Fairground Ave.
Before Halloween, the city will also spotlight its four-legged residents. At 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 15, Battle Ground will host its Howl-O-Ween Pooch Parade at the Event Center.
Registration is $10 per dog and must be completed by Sunday, Oct. 12. Each canine competitor receives a goody bag, and prizes are awarded for top costumes.
This canine costume contest includes prizes donated by community members, according to Martin.
“Attendance is free for anybody who wants to come and just take in the cute dog costumes,” Communications Manager Alisha Smith said. “We do have quite a few people who like to just come and look … and take it in.”
Last year’s Pooch Parade was virtual, drawing about six entries due to staffing shortages. The city says the return to an in-person gathering this year is highly anticipated.
“We were eagerly awaiting for it to come back in person this year and we're super excited that it'll be back in person,” Smith said.
Readers can visit cityofbg.org to learn more about the Boo Bash or register for the Pooch Parade.
