UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — At this year’s Fall Harvest Festival and Children’s Halloween Trail at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, senior Carli Dinsmore will be among several Penn State students leading children through the family-friendly trail.

“The trail will be a continuous hike where kids will encounter several adventures. We’ll be playing different roles and helping tell fun, interactive stories associated with Halloween,” said Dinsmore, who helped develop the trail with nearly 90 students enrolled in RPTM (Recreation, Park and Tourism Management) 325: Principles of Environmental Interpretation and RPTM 297B: Interpreting Halloween to Families. “Hopefully kids will walk away with a better understanding of some unique concepts.”

The Fall Harvest Festival and Children’s Halloween Trail will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 24 and 25. Shaver’s Creek welcomes about 1,500 visitors each year to the annual festival, which features pumpkin carving, games, live music, storytelling, face painting, food and animal programs.

The theme for this year’s Children’s Halloween Trail is “Nature continues to inspire the celebration of Halloween.” Student guides will lead the non-scary trail and teach stories about the great horned owl, monarch butterfly, jack-o’-lantern mushroom, earthworm, big brown bat and American toad. Nearly 70 Penn State students will help at the festival each day.

Festival-goers can also enter pumpkin-carving and costume contests with winners for each day being announced on Halloween. Pumpkins are $2 and carving tools will be available at the festival. Prizes include a Shaver’s Creek bookstore gift card and an Owl Prowl for winners and their families.

Admission to the festival is free, and tickets for the Children's Halloween Trail are $5 for children and adults (free for ages 3 and younger). Advance purchase is recommended by calling 814-863-2000. For more information, visit shaverscreek.org/fallfestival.

Volunteers are also invited from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, to carve more than 300 jack-o’-lanterns that will be used to decorate the Children’s Halloween Trail. Pumpkins and spooky treats will be provided.