Charleston is hosting the second annual Festival of Frights, a collaboration of spooky events that extends throughout the month of October.

Lori Bumpus, Festival of Frights committee member, said the festival started last year.

The actual festival was held in Morton Park here in Charleston last Saturday.

“We had a great success,” said Bumpus. “We had blow-up toys and lots of games for children to play, which was all free for the families.”

Bumpus also said about 100 children participated in the kiddie tractor pull held by the Arcola Jaycees.

Pumpkin decorating, a costume contest, food and crafts were also part of the festival.

Charleston’s Festival of Frights may still be getting off the ground, but Bumpus said the committee is expanding and they have big plans for next year.

“We are just trying to give Charleston something else for families to do. Next year, we are going to try and make it bigger and better and have more vendors and more entertainment throughout the day,” said Bumpus.

This year’s entertainment was the Barbershop singers and a band called Sourjouned.

“The reason for the festival is that we wanted to be able to give the city of Charleston an opportunity for the families to come out and enjoy all the activities that we had to offer,” said Bumpus.

One of the Halloween activities was a house-decorating contest called the Festival of Lights. Entering the contest is free and those who win receive prizes.

Jan Weaver, one of two judges for the decorating contest, said she looked for originality, technology, creativity and lighting on the houses.

Houses were judged on Oct. 18 during the evening.

The winners of the contest were Jim and Stella Herman, who did not wished to disclose their address. They received a $100 Home Depot gift card donated by Real Estate Unlimited, Inc.

“(The first place winners) really went all out,” said Weaver. “They had several different displays all around the yard and even in a neighboring yard.”

Stella Herman said it took her about three or four days to decorate her home.

“I put up some lights and made some decorations,” said Herman.

Since she already had most of her decorations from past Halloweens, Herman said it only cost her about $50 this year.

Herman said this was her first year participating in the Festival of Lights contest.

“I enjoy the children seeing (the decorations) and I have grandchildren who like it,” she said.

The second place winner was Nick Galloway of 2542 Hidden Oak. He won a four-pack of tickets to the Ashmore Estates Haunted House donated by Lightspeed Networks.

Galloway, who is 13, decided to use a haunted-house theme. He said he decorated with a decapitated body, a cemetery, a mummy in a coffin, a monster in a cage, cobwebs and caution tape.

He said he even used a fog machine and a strobe light.

“I wanted to see if I had the chance to win,” said Galloway. “I really wanted to tickets to Ashmore Estates.”

Galloway said it took him about a week to decorate the house and this is the first year he participated in the house-decorating contest.

Third place was given to Richard Evans of 621 Ashby drive, who won a $25 Michael Domani’s gift certificate donated by Mike and Denise Corray. Evans could not be reached for comment.

Festival of Frieghts contest winner Stella Herman of 530 Reynolds Drive in Charleston puts away some of her decorations in anticipatoin of rain. “I used to put up the decorations for my kids, but now I do it for my grand children.” Herman said. Jay Grabi

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