By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
A deluge of rain with thunder and lightning resulted in the city of Copperas Cove’s annual Fall-O-Ween Festival at City Park closing early on Saturday.
The festival, organized by the city’s Special Events and Parks and Recreation, was scheduled to start at 4 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. Despite reports of thunderstorms, the city made the decision to keep the event as planned, rain or shine. Shortly after 5 p.m., the decision to close early was made after parts of the park began flooding.
Special Events Coordinator Ashley Wilson said that the rain and the storm was not what led to the final decision.
“It was the amount of water that was in the park that was the deciding factor,” Wilson said. “We just got too much in such a little amount of time that we had to close the flood gates; even though shortly after canceling, the rain was letting up, and the sky was turning blue.”
Wilson added that there are too many factors and moving parts involved with a festival event like the Fall-O-Ween to make the decision to cancel ahead of time.
“The weather was constantly changing throughout the day that we just decided to play it by ear,” Wilson said. “All vendors were already set up and ready to go and food trucks had already bought all of their product for the day. There was no way in postponing it until [Sunday] as we would lose out on majority of our vendors. A lot of families were able to enjoy themselves for at least one and a half hours before the storm hit, and some were still willing to stick it out, which we greatly appreciate the community’s support. They are why we put these events on, is for them.”
The next event planned for the city’s Special Events/Parks and Recreation is Christmas in the Park, scheduled for December 4th. This is a free community event, Wilson said.
Some families still got to celebrate the spooky season a week early, thanks to the Trick or Treat Market held by The Norns in Cove Terrace Shopping Center on Sunday.
Traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating on Halloween is between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Other Halloween events scheduled for Friday, October 31st include:
Copperas Cove Creative Space, 115 E. Avenue E, is holding a Halloween Costume Contest from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with prizes for top costumes. This is open to all ages.
First Baptist Church at 300 W. Ave B, Copperas Cove, is holding a Trunk or Treat on Halloween, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Joy RV Resort, at 3196 Renee Street, Copperas Cove, is also holding a Trunk or Treat, open to all guests, visitors and the community, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Campfire Bar and Grill, at 146 CR 4814, Copperas Cove, is holding a Halloween party, “A Night to Dismember”, starting at 7 p.m. The event will feature a costume contest, karaoke, light trick or treating and more. The event is open to all ages.
Over in Kempner, the city of Kempner is hosting a Trunk or Treat at Sylvia Tucker Memorial Park, at 12641 E. Hwy 190, Kempner. This event starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m. There will be trick or treating, games, a costume contest and voting on best trunks.
Hill Country is hosting a Trunk or Treat at 5:30 p.m. as well, at 810 Industrial Ave. This event is free and open to the community. There will be hot dogs, chips and water, in addition to the candy.
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