Is there a better time to live in the hills of Appalachia than Autumn? Not only do we get to see the beautiful painting of nature as the leaves change, but we also get great things like mountain football, harvest fruits and vegetables and my personal favorite, Halloween!
Fall has always been my favorite season and Halloween my favorite holiday, even more so than Christmas, even as a child. Growing up in Hyden, one of the best events we would attend was the annual Ghost Walk that the UK Extension Office would put together. Community volunteers would come together to host a Fall carnival featuring face painting, games and other treats for the local kids and the event concluded with the ever popular Ghost Walk, a guided tour of Hyden with several stops featuring local storytellers spinning spooky yarns set in and around our little town. To a kid like me who was obsessed with horror movies and ghouls and goblins of any shape and size, it was wonderful!
Unfortunately, they stopped having the Ghost Walk a few years ago, but we have started a new Halloween tradition here in Leslie County, a Zombie Parade. Last year, we started what we hope will become an annual Halloween tradition of inviting all of the Undead to lumber down Main St. here in Hyden, KY for a Zombie Parade. We immediately follow that up with a free, family friendly Halloween film. I can't say it will be as iconic as I remember the Ghost Walk being, but folks seemed to enjoy themselves last year. So if you're like me and you love Autumn in the Appalachian Mountains or Halloween in the Hills, come and join us for a free, family friendly (maybe a little bit spooky) night of fun.
