Due to safety concerns about the rain and wind forecast for Saturday, we are moving our Origins of Halloween event INDOORS! The Irish tale of Stingy Jack will be presented to the group inside our classrooms, theater-style. We are excitedly preparing the Center for this magical presentation!
As a consolation prize for this change of plans, each family will receive a voucher for a free cider or baked goodie at the bake sale table. We will also be selling the excess pumpkins that will not be carved for the trail hike. Additional programming elements will also be added, including face painting and a Spooky Lab.
We hope this change of plans is welcome, and that you will join us on Saturday inside the Watershed Center for a magical presentation of the tale of Stingy Jack! Please come at your allotted time.
The basics:
Join us on a journey through the woods on a crisp autumn night. As each group arrives at the Watershed Center, they can make a Halloween craft. Then they meet their trail guides and hit the trail for an exciting adventure. You will follow your guide on a trail of glowing Jack O' Lanterns; along the way you stop to meet the characters in an Irish Folktale that unfolds along the path. While other Halloween programs are designed to frighten, our goal is to educate and enchant. Guided hikes begin every 15 minutes and last about 1.5 hours; the last hike begins at 8:30 p.m. Space is limited; register early to get your preferred time slot.
Ages 5 and up
Additional information for curious souls:
Imagine walking through the woods on a crisp autumn night; the trail is lit with hundreds of glowing Jack O' Lanterns, along the way you stop to meet the characters in a drama that unfolds along the path. Since 1987, children have marveled at the adventures of Irish Jack and the first Jack O'Lantern, an original drama performed along the trails. As each group arrives at the Watershed Center, they make a Halloween craft. Then they meet their trail guides and hit the trail for an exciting adventure. The children visit the cabin of an old peasant woman to beg for tinder for their fire, she tells the story of the old Celtic holiday of Samhain, when the spirits of the dead were believed to walk among the living. The modern traditions of wearing masks and trick-or-treating came from this belief. Next they visit the bonfire where the storyteller spins a yarn about Irish Jack, the ornery man who once tricked the devil. After hearing the story, the group continues along the trails where they meet old Jack and see him trap the devil in an apple tree. The devil promises never to take Jack's soul, so Jack lets the devil down and continues on his way. The group next meets up with Jack as he tries to talk his way into Heaven, which is complete with clouds and harp-playing angels. After the angels tell Jack to hit the road, he has no recourse but to try to get into "the hot place". Moaning souls in chains create a dramatic setting for this final scene. Here Jack argues with the devil, who refuses to take him in. In anger, the devil throws a hot coal at Jack. He catches it in the turnip he is eating and is forced to wander for eternity carrying Jacks Own Lantern: the original Jack O' Lantern. Following the performance, the group goes to the backyard to roast marshmallows around a fire. Their unforgettable evening ends with hot cocoa and goodies from our bake sale. This truly innovative approach to both education and theater was first developed in Monmouth County in 1987, before Halloween productions were widespread throughout state. While other Halloween programs are designed to frighten, this is designed to educate and enchant. Many children are already frightened in the woods, without having ghouls and chain saw wielding fiends accosting them. We attempt to make the children feel comfortable in the outdoors, and hope to engender a feeling of awe and respect for nature, all while having fun.
