Last Updated on October 22, 2024 4:46 pm
Boone BOO!, the annual Halloween celebration hosted by the Town of Boone and the Downtown Boone Development Association, will take place on Thursday, October 31. From 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to downtown Boone for an evening of trick-or-treating and family-friendly festivities.
During the event, the central part of King Street, between Appalachian Street and Burrell/Waters Streets, will be closed to vehicle traffic to allow extra space for pedestrians to enjoy trick-or-treating and other entertainment. Downtown guests are encouraged to arrive early and use Rivers Street as an alternate route. On the day of the event, parking will be free in downtown metered spaces and lots beginning at 3:00 p.m. Other public lots will be available after 5:00 p.m., including ASU’s Peacock Lot, the lower lot at First Baptist Church, and the Austin & Barnes parking lot.
A Town of Boone tradition that is now 25 years old, Boone BOO! is one of the premier Halloween events in the area. This year’s rendition carries extra significance as the High Country recovers from the aftermath of Helene.
“With all that has been going on, we hope Boone BOO! will be an opportunity to bring the community together, to draw folks back to downtown, and to provide a safe Halloween activity for families,” says Downtown Boone Coordinator Lane Moody.
The scene will be set with downtown businesses decked out in their Halloween best for the occasion. A curated Halloween playlist will stream down King Street, while ghouls and goblins, princesses and pirates, superheroes and villains, and costumed characters of all sorts frolic through downtown, visiting dozens of participating groups for trick-or-treating. For children with food allergy concerns, sites designated with teal pumpkins will hand out non-candy treats, including Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Lost Province Brewing, Boone Saloon, fizzEd, and SouthEnd Brewing.
The DBDA will continue a new favorite Boone BOO! centerpiece, hosting a costume contest staged along King Street next to Mast General Store, starting at 6:00 p.m. A panel of judges will choose the best costumes in various age groups and categories, with special prizes going to the winners.
“The costume contest has become a signature event of the Boone BOO! celebration,” says Moody. “Each year we are blown away by the creative and original costumes that participants put together.”
Following the costume contest, audiences should stick around the stage, as Appalachian Rhythm always has some surprises in store for the event, delighting the crowds each year with specially choreographed dance routines.
In addition to the trick-or-treating and costume contest along King Street, there will be additional spooky fun for Boone BOO! throughout downtown Boone.
The celebration starts at 4:00 p.m. at the Watauga County Public Library, which will have Halloween-themed craft stations set up for kids.
First Baptist Church will host a trunk-or-treat in its upper parking lot during the event, with additional goodies and activities to enjoy.
The Jones House will be transformed for the evening, with plenty of Halloween fun for kids of all ages. A number of community groups will fill the lawn handing out additional goodies, while brave visitors wait their turns to enter the spooky haunted Jones House.
The Town of Boone and DBDA strive to create a fun, safe, and family-friendly atmosphere, and ask that all Boone BOO! participants keep this in mind, particularly in regards to behavior and costume choices. For more information about Boone BOO! and other Town of Boone events, please visit joneshouse.org or call 828-268-6280.
