LAMONT, Calif. (KERO) — The Lamont Elementary School District (LESD) says plans for the Fall Harvest Festival are well underway and talks about the expected changes.
- Lamont Harvest Festival will be relocated to Alicante Elementary School this year.
- LESD is taking the lead due to the Lamont Chamber of Commerce facing a lawsuit.
- The festival will include traditional activities like the costume contest and haunted house.
- The event is scheduled for October 30th from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Despite rumors of the Lamont Fall Harvest Festival being canceled this year, officials say plans are well underway. LESD officials tell me this year, the district is taking the lead on the event to ensure the community's youth have a safe place to celebrate Halloween.
"Unfortunately, the chamber isn’t able to carry on that tradition this year as they have for many years, but we’re very thankful because the Lamont School District has stepped up and said this is something that is important to our children and to our families," said Project Director for the LESD Family Resource and Learning Center Jennifer Wood-Slayton.
For decades, LESD officials say the district has partnered with other organizations including the Lamont Chamber of Commerce, Bear Mountain Parks and Recreation, and the Sheriff’s Office to host the community Harvest Festival.
In recent years, they say the Chamber of Commerce has taken the lead in organizing the event.
Following an incident at last year’s Christmas Parade in which the Chamber of Commerce was sued, the chamber released a statement in March of this year in which they stated, “Unfortunately, the Chamber is currently the subject of litigation and so will be suspending all activities pending the outcome of this process.”
However, all is not lost. LESD says they’re taking the lead on this event to continue to provide an opportunity for their students to be responsive community members while also giving them a safe place to trick-or-treat.
"In rural communities like Lamont, we don’t have a lot of lighting and it’s very dark and sometimes it’s a long way from home, so all of our kids every year get to come to Harvest Festival where they can have activities to do, get candy and prizes and have a really good time with their family," explained Wood-Slayton.
Previously, the festival was held at the David Head Center parking lot. According to LESD officials, this year, the festival will take place across the street at the Alicante Elementary School soccer fields.
"It’s going to be much more open," said Wood-Slayton. "We can have more of our stage area, we can have our costume contest be something a little more central and featured, so we’re actually very excited about this new space it’s opening up a lot of opportunities we’ve never thought about before."
Despite this change, LESD says the community can expect activities like the costume contest and haunted house to return this year.
The festival is scheduled for Wednesday, October 30th from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Alicante Avenue Elementary School, in Lamont.
LESD also encourages organizations and businesses interested in hosting a booth at the festival to fill out the application here.
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