By Krista Starkovich
The Green Door successfully launched its first annual Halloween Carnival on Friday, October 31st, a new tradition born from a desire to give back. The core mission was simple: offer a free carnival for local children and community members. The only costs were for themed food and various drinks.
The event planners wanted a focus on family fun and community. Anna, one of the driving forces behind the event, shared the in spiration for starting the carnival. “I’m a mom to two children, and our household is all about Halloween,” she explained. “I’ve always wished Halloween events were more interactive—where my kids could play with the decorations, make crafts, and run around with out me constantly worrying about losing track of them.”
She also mentioned a second important goal of the event planners: “Clayton Alborn (the City Administrator) and I thought it would be good for Beaver Bay to host more community events. There’s some thing special about them that really brings people together and allows them to have a great time!”
It was a day packed with nostalgia and activities. The Green Door achieved its goal, filling the carnival with a activities, games, and lots of fun. Guests enjoyed the classics like apple bobbing and balloon darts, which were huge hits. Other activities included musical chairs (hosted by Bad Wolf Entertainment), a pong toss called ghosts in the graveyard, jack-o-lantern basketball, witch’s hat ring toss, and an eyeball fishbowl toss.
For the creative crowd, there was a dedicated crafting station, a messy (and fun!) slime station, and a corn sifting station. Inside the large out door tent, attendees munched on free popcorn and warmed up with hot cocoa while watching movies like Hocus Pocus and Monster House.
The star attraction was undoubtedly the giant pumpkin bouncy house, an eye-catching feature visible from Highway 61. To cap off the evening, a popular s’mores building station was set up by the outdoor fire. The community turned out in force, with an estimated 200 people attending the inaugural event.
The carnival’s success was truly a team effort, made possible by a wonderful group of volunteers. Support came from various community groups and individuals, including the City of Beaver Ba,y workers from City Hall and the maintenance crew, Baptism River BBQ, and, of course, The Green Door staff.
Dan and Kaylee from Baptism River BBQ Co. created a delicious and creative menu, with each item featuring a fun, festive name— which proved to be a major hit! The Green Door intentionally kept the focus on family, choosing not to promote any special beverages to keep the atmosphere centered on family-friendly community fun.
The Green Door and the City of Beaver Bay shared the event costs to ensure it remained free for all attendees, preventing a fee from deterring anyone or imposing a financial burden on local families. Looking ahead, The Green Door has full intentions of making the Halloween Carnival an annual event and keeping it free, if at all possible. Their guiding principle for this event is clear: they want it to be a place where kids can truly be kids.
“We strive to offer something for everyone. We encourage kids to play with the decorations (which every kid wants to), make a mess at the craft and slime station, jump out their energy in the bounce house, enjoy some snacks and movies, and get a great lunch or dinner from the Baptism BBQ Truck.”
Their goal is to continually add new elements to keep the carnival interesting and ensure families can spend a decent amount of time enjoying the activities be fore the kids get bored.
Stay tuned for more community fun! The Green Door will be holding bingo this Saturday, November 8th, from 4:30–6:30 p.m.
• Temporary Closure: The venue will then be closed from November 9th through the 21st for floor repair and epoxy work (they are not removing the original floors).
• Limited Off-Sale: A limited off-sale will still be open from the 11th to the 21st.
• Grand Reopening: Join them for their reopening and Karaoke on Saturday, November 22, 2025!
To stay up to date on all upcoming events, visit their Facebook page at GreenDoor- Beaver Bay or watch for their ads in the Northshore Journal!
