Costume, not COVID, masks return to Port Orchard

The traditions of Halloween, along with some new events, are coming to Port Orchard, where the only masks this year are those with a costume.

Events throughout the 2020-21 holiday seasons were either altered to match health recommendations or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with the state of emergency set to expire Oct. 31, parents and kids alike are excited about many returning traditions.

Highlighting the returns is Port Orchard’s Kitsap Live Steamers and their annual Ghost Train rides in partnership with the Kitsap Foster Care Association. The longtime Halloween favorite is back for the first time since 2019 after the pandemic derailed the event in back-to-back years.

Children and adults alike are invited to the track in South Kitsap Regional Park Oct. 29 for a 10-15 minute ride, on which visitors will experience the train itself and the decorative holiday displays. Games and trick-or-treating will also be held. All tickets purchased for the ride will go to foster children under the care of the KFCA. Tickets are available online at $5 for anyone age 3 and older.

The annual Bay Street Boo bash sponsored by the Port Orchard Bay Street Association is also making its return. The free event, also scheduled for Oct. 29, will begin with a variety of costume contests for kids and adults, as well as their pets. Kids will also have the opportunity to trick-or-treat along Bay Street at participating businesses from 2-4 p.m.

Some organizations are taking the opportunity to make new traditions.

The South Kitsap Eastern Little League baseball field will play host to back-to-back Halloween events Oct. 28.

The evening will start with a Trunk or Treat at 5 p.m., where SKULL promises fun for the whole family, along with a fair share of candy to boot. There will also be a contest for the best trunk.

Zombies and ghosts will then take the field for the first-ever SKELLaton Haunted Field from 6:30-9 p.m. This haunting experience costs $5 per person with discounts available online.

The experience of picking your own pumpkin is also available in Port Orchard at the Pumpkin Patch at Creek House Farm. Families can visit the patch by online appointment, where they can select pumpkins straight from the fields or at the farm stand to purchase and take home.

A multitude of activities is also available for all ages, such as feeding the farm animals, launching water balloons, hay rides and more. Activities run through Oct. 29.

Animals are also available for feeding when visiting the Creek House Farm in Port Orchard.

Animals are also available for feeding when visiting the Creek House Farm in Port Orchard.