Creepside Festival returns to Gahanna with kid-friendly Halloween fun

Samantha Wilson
Fri, 26 Oct 2018 00:51:36 +0000
Campus, City of Gahanna’s Parks and Recreation Department, Columbus, Creekside Park and Plaza, Creepside Festival, family friendly, Gahanna, halloween, Mill Street, Zachary Guthrie

Creekside in Gahanna in 2017 during the Creepside Festival. Photo courtesy: Gahanna Parks and Recreation Dept.

The City of Gahanna’s Parks and Recreation Department is hosting its 15th annual Creepside Festival in celebration of Halloween.

The event is a kid-friendly festival that includes trick-or-treating along the city’s main road — Mill Street — carnival games and live music, among other activities. The festival is located primarily in what the city calls the Creekside, the area in and around Creekside Park and Plaza.

“It’s an opportunity to showcase one of our destination locations, and for people to see that Gahanna is a family-friendly community,” said Zachary Guthrie, a festival organizer who works at Gahanna’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Parents are encouraged to come with their families to enjoy the festivities. All the activities at the festival have age-recommendations to help parents decide where they should take their kids.

This year’s festival also includes two different escapes, one from 13th Floor Haunted House and a virtual escape room by Amaze Games. There are dinosaur-themed activities at the “Dino Discovery” area, and a chance for kids to meet their favorite superheroes at the “SuperHero Universe.”

“It involves many different organizations. Everything from non-profits … to local business and service organizations,” Guthrie said. “It’s an opportunity to connect with families and local residents, and to really celebrate the fall season.”

There are an estimated 80 organizations that will be at the event. Candy for trick-or-treating along Mill Street is being supplied by local businesses and restaurants, and local groups are volunteering to help run attractions.

While this festival is being hosted by the Gahanna community, people from all over Ohio are encouraged to join the festivities. The event is expected to bring in about 10,000 people this year, according to the Gahanna Parks and Recreation Department.

Jeff Scholl, who recently moved to Gahanna from Maryland, went to the festival last year with his daughter and plans to return this season. He said the festival was welcoming and helped him and his daughter to find out about local groups and businesses that interested them.

“I’ve seen her talking with her friends about [this year’s festival], she seems really excited to go,” Scholl said.

The festival lasts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Attending the festival is free, though some of the available attractions require a fee. Children and parents alike are encouraged to come dressed in their Halloween costumes.