Schedule
• 4-6 p.m.: Bradwell Park: Beggars’ stations, children’s activity booths, photo opportunities, face-painting and hay hunt
Old Liberty County Jail (302 S. Main St.): Not-so-haunted walk
Central Avenue near VIP: Hay ride (begins on scarecrow stoll at Bradwell Park)
First United Methodist Church (203 N. Main St.): fall festival (until 8 p.m.)
• 5:45 p.m.: The Heritage Bank lawn on South Main Street: Costume contest
• 6:15 p.m.: Main Street in front of the Coastal Courier: “Thriller” dance/zombie invasion
• 6:30 p.m.: 105 N. Main St.: The Paw Spa’s doggy carnival and costume contest
• 6:30-10 p.m.: 302 S. Main St.: Haunted jailhouse at Old Liberty County Jail ($5 adults/$3 under 16)
• 7 p.m.: Main Street Park: Free outdoor movie, “ParaNorman.”
Around downtown: Guided ghost tour begins in front of Zum Rosenhof ($2)
Scarecrows are showing up all over downtown Hinesville in anticipation of the fifth annual Scarecrow Stroll and Beggars Night, which starts at 4 p.m. Friday in downtown Hinesville, from Hendry Street to Memorial Drive along South Main Street.
By Tuesday afternoon, scarecrow displays already were greeting visitors at Bradwell Park, where much of Friday afternoon’s festivities will take place. This year’s event includes a zombie walk, hay rides, a ghost tour, a “Thriller” performance, a costume contest and, of course, beggars’ stations where children can stock up on sweet treats from 4-6 p.m. Some events will run until 9 p.m.
A scarecrow display was already up at the Heritage Bank on Tuesday afternoon, while the Hinesville Downtown Partners made plans to set up their own scarecrow display in the traffic circle on Memorial Drive. During Thursday’s city council meeting, Hinesville Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Vicki Davis asked the council on behalf of the downtown partners for permission to create seasonal displays in the traffic circle.
The council approved the request after confirming the first display would be a scarecrow display that anticipates the upcoming Scarecrow Stroll and Beggars Night this Friday, as well as Halloween next Thursday. That display will be replaced with a fall/harvest display, Davis said.
HDDA program assistant Katrina Barrow called the scarecrow stroll Hinesville’s biggest downtown event. She said the HDDA wants children and adults to join the fun, have a great time and be safe.
To ensure safety, the Hinesville Police Department will begin closing selected roads in the downtown area at 2:45 p.m., then other roads at 3:45 p.m. Barrow said the first roads to be closed to traffic are those closest to Bradwell Park.
The following roads and intersections will be closed at 2:45 p.m.:
• South Commerce Street and East M.L. King Jr. Drive
• East M.L. King Jr. Drive and South Main Street
• South Commerce and East Court streets
• Midway and South Main streets
The following roads and intersections will be closed at 3:45 p.m.:
• South Main Street and Memorial Drive
• Central Avenue and Welborn Street
• Central Avenue and North Commerce Street
• West and West Court streets
• West M.L. King Jr. Drive and parking lot
• Bagley Avenue and parking lot
• South Main Street and the shopping-center entrance at The Coastal Bank’s drive-thru
• South Main and Hendry streets
Although parking within the area set aside for the event will not be available after 3:45, Barrow said there will be parking available behind the Justice Center and along East M.L. King Jr. Drive and Liberty Street as well as East Memorial Drive.