Halloween is still happening in the lower Russian River area. Various businesses and River Friends of the Library present a few ways western Sonoma County families can safely pull off an evening of fun for kids as the coronavirus pandemic remains very much alive in Sonoma County this autumn.
Fly by the Guerneville Regional Library
River Friends of the Library is hosting Fly By Halloween, a trick-or-treating drive-thru in front of the Guerneville Regional Library Saturday, Oct. 31, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Nancy Sampson, the regional library’s manager, said the library’s annual Halloween party is normally their biggest program of the year, with between 50 to 100 kids age 4 to 6 participating in the festivities.
“You know, the river area, the communities are so separated that the kids can’t go neighborhood to neighborhood very easily, so a lot of them come by the library,” Sampson said. Once, the library hosted almost 200 children, she said.
This year, volunteers from River Friends of the Library will cordon off an area for tables on the sidewalk in front of the library where cars can pull over, or “brake the broomstick” at a tent for a contact-free delivery of gift bags through the window or in the trunk.
Sampson said the gift bags contain mostly books, but also treats, toys and small pumpkins. The books will differ depending on the age group of youths participating.
“They’re such a wonderful group and they do so much for us. And we would be lost without all those wonderful volunteers,” she said of River Friends of the Library, made up of parents, teachers, retirees and other community members. “Really, to be honest, I’m not being hyperbolic or anything, either.”
More information is available at the River Friends of the Library website.
Trick-or-Treating on Main Street
Not far from the library, Friends of Stumptown is organizing a socially distanced Halloween tabling event from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. along Main Street in Guerneville.
In years past, the nonprofit would simply pass out flyers for businesses to hang in windows letting families know they would pass out candy, according to Christina Pappan, board president of the nonprofit that organizes community events and annual parades in the area.
This year, businesses will pass out candy from their front doors and other community members can reserve spaces for tables spaced far apart to pass out treats along Main Street, Pappan said, “trying to make it as fun for the kids and as normal for the kids as possible” with animatronic monsters and other displays.
Pappan said downtown Guerneville has always been a go-to trick-or-treating spot because housing is so spaced out.
“So, a lot of kids always come downtown, and then we get kids from out towards the coast, Jenner, Cazadero, all the way up through Forestville,” she said. “People come from all over. It’s just a really fun small-town night.”
Pappan said she monitored health guidelines throughout the planning process and knew they might have to cancel the event if the pandemic intensified. Attendees must wear masks.
“You know, it’s just a weird time we’re living in, so just a couple extra considerations to make sure, like I said, find balance between having fun for the kids and keeping the community safe,” she said.
Robin Johnson, owner of the Guerneville 5 & 10 said trick-or-treating will also take place at the Guerneville Plaza. She said her store has a multi-generational tradition of photographing locals in costume and giving them a free duplicate a week or two later.
“Then I post them up on posters in the windows of the Guerneville 5 & 10 so there’s a sense of community. And that will continue, they’ll just be most of the pictures taken outside this year,” Johnson said.
She said she will begin photographing Thursday afternoon for people avoiding crowds.
“You just have to be smart and respectful and listen to the science,” she said. “So, large groups of people, probably not a great idea. It’s going to be harder for social distancing, so I even have some conflict with, like, okay how much do we really want to put this out in the paper? You know?”
She said there were flyers around, but word of mouth, and resilience, was strong in the small town.
“One thing about flooding a lot is you just know how to get through stuff.” she said slowly. “The community comes together, and that’s where it’s a little bit different this year. The community comes together and six foot and separation and smart science. So, it’s an interesting time.”
A Couple Nights in the Woods
The River Bend Resort in Forestville will host its first annual drive-in Halloween movie night Saturday, Oct. 31. The festivities will be available to campers who reserve a two-night stay for the last weekend of the resort’s cabin and tent camping season.
Attendees would check in Friday, Oct. 31 and check out Sunday, Nov. 1, according to co-owner Michelle Bertram.
“A lot of the parents I talked to said, you know, ‘We don’t know what we’re going to do,” and so we decided we are going to try to save Halloween,” she said. The goal was to provide families with a safe, socially distant option for celebration.
Bertram said the activities would begin at 5 p.m. with a Halloween parade and costume contest, with prizes for best decorated RV, car or tent. Come 5:30 p.m., kids can partake in a dance-off contest while staff hide candy bags around the spacious, 17-acre campground for a 6 p.m. scavenger hunt.
She said families could grab dinner in time for the outdoor movie to begin at 7 p.m. in the wide clearing near their Paul Bunyan statue where people can park their cars and watch the movie from the trunk.
There will be popcorn, cotton candy and either “The Karate Kid,” “E.T.,” “Ghostbusters,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Hotel Transylvania,” “The Addams Family” or “Goosebumps” with Jack Black, playing.
Bertram said people can book a reservation at their website or call their main office and that their cabin options are set up to be as approachable as possible for a first-time camper.
The resort has a COVID-19 safety policy where campers must stay masked in bathrooms and near other guests in public areas. Only three people can go into the bathrooms at a time, which staff cleans frequently, she said.
When they arrive, campers click an online confirmation button and masked staff leads them from a golf cart to their cabin for a contact-free check-in. Campers can purchase from the general store online.
“Everything gets delivered right to you because with COVID this year, we’re not opening the general store to foot traffic,” she said.
People can remove their mask at their campsite with their group and when swimming.
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