Renaissance Center hosts 4th annual Halloween Festival on Oct. 25

Release Date: 9/30/2003. Expired: 10/25/2003

Halloween comes a few days early when The Renaissance Center hosts its 4th annual Halloween Festival on Saturday, Oct. 25.

The festival features an afternoon of family activities from hayrides to pumpkin painting, from Halloween cartoons to CyberSphere shows, from fortune telling to a costume contest, and, of course, trick or treating inside the center at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson.

“The Halloween Festival has been our most successful day of activities since we began it four years ago,” said Ron Stinson, director of the CyberSphere Digital Theater and coordinator for this year’s festival. “We’ve drawn more than 1,000 people to each of the previous celebrations.”

Activities begin at 2 p.m. with the matinee of the Renaissance Players production of The Mousetrap, a classic murder mystery written by Agatha Christie, and continue through the afternoon and evening to the 9 p.m. showing of Hallows Eve 2003 in the CyberSphere. Most activities are free.

The schedule for the 4th annual Halloween Festival is:
2 p.m. - The Mousetrap in the Performance Hall ($12 adults, $10 seniors, $7 children);
2 p.m. - The Explorers of Mauna Kea in the CyberSphere ($5 adults, $3 seniors and children);
3 p.m. - Fright Light II in the CyberSphere ($6) Rated PG;
4-7 p.m. - Hayrides in the field behind the parking lot (free);
4-6 p.m. - Face Painting in N120 (free);
4-5:30 p.m. - Coloring and/or Trick or Treat Bag Decorating in N118 (free);
4-6 p.m. - Pumpkin Painting in the large lunchroom ($1);
4-5:30 p.m. - Dark Encounters Investigated debut of The Somnambulist in E105 (free);
4-6 p.m. - Halloween Cartoons in N223 (free);
4-6 p.m. - Halloween Pictures in the parking lot ($1);
4-6:30 p.m. - Make Your Own CD Karaoke in the Recording Studio ($10);
4 p.m. - Fright Light II in the CyberSphere ($6) Rated PG;
4 p.m. - Story Telling in the Virtually Unlimited Bookstore (free);
4:30 p.m. - Fortune Telling in the rotunda (free);
5 p.m. - Digistar Amusement Park in the CyberSphere ($6);
5:30 p.m. - Costume Contest in the rotunda (free);
6-7 p.m. - Trick or Treating on the second floor of the north wing (free);
7 p.m. - Fright Light II in the CyberSphere ($6) Rated PG;
7 p.m. - The Mousetrap in the Performance Hall ($12 adults, $10 seniors, $7 children);
7-9 p.m. - Dark Encounters Investigated Marathon in E105 (free);
8 p.m. - Fright Light II in the CyberSphere ($6) Rated PG;
9 p.m. - Hallows Eve 2003 in the CyberSphere ($6) Rated PG-13.
The Faraday Café will be selling hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and drinks 4-7 p.m.

“The Renaissance Center’s Halloween Festival provides a safe and family friendly atmosphere for celebrating Halloween,” said Stinson. “The trick or treating is done inside the building going door to door on the second floor of the east wing.”

All of the activities are on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets for the play, CyberSphere shows and karaoke must be purchased at the front desk. Halloween pictures and pumpkin painting are paid at each activity’s location.

The costume contest will include prizes for first, second and third place in five age categories: under 2 years old, 2-5 years old, 6-10 years old, 11-15 years old and 16 and older. Anyone wanting to compete in the contest should be in the rotunda at 5:30 p.m.

Dark Encounters Investigated is The Renaissance Center’s television program that investigates reports of paranormal activity and other strange occurrences.

Fright Light II incorporates Halloween and other scary songs such as Bad Moon Rising, Godzilla, Monster Mash, Men in Black, Frankenstein, People Are Strange and Purple People Eater by the late Sheb Wooley with spectacular laser effects and video in the four-story domed theater. Hallows Eve 2003 is rated PG-13 and not recommended for small children. It incorporates more heavy metal from artists such as Metallica, White Zombie and Garbage along with clips from South Park.

There also will be special showings of the CyberSphere shows Oct. 30 and 31 with Fright Light II at 7 p.m. and Hallows Eve 2003 at 8 p.m.

For more information on The Renaissance Center’s 4th annual Halloween Festival, call (615)740-5600.

The Renaissance Center is located at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson, just 35 miles west of Nashville on Interstate 40 at exit 172.