Free Halloween festival set for Saturday at Bibb sheriff’s outreach center

The free event runs Saturday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Outreach and Restorative Justice Center.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is turning Halloween into an opportunity to connect with local families. Saturday’s annual Halloween Haunted House Fall Festival will offer spooky attractions, free candy and books, and activities for children.

Sgt. Sahkera Wooten with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office says the event is about more than Halloween fun. Through the office’s outreach efforts, deputies hope to give families a safe place to celebrate while helping them see a different side of law enforcement.

“We do it because we want the community to see a different side of law enforcement,” Wooten said.

Students from Central and Westside high schools will help bring the haunted house to life by dressing up as characters. Volunteers are also helping prepare the attractions.

Families can enjoy a haunted train ride, inflatables, music, popcorn, shaved ice and free candy. The festival will also offer free books through Macon Book’em to encourage children to read.

Wooten said promoting literacy is an important part of the event. She encouraged children to take a book home and spend time reading after enjoying the festivities.

The sheriff’s office says the festival will also give deputies an opportunity to build relationships with young people and their families in a safe environment.

Organizers are enforcing a clear-bag policy, and the event will be a weapons-free and drug-free zone. Each participant will receive a ticket for food and a ticket for entry into the haunted house.

The Halloween Haunted House Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Outreach and Restorative Justice Center, located at 774 Hazel St. in Macon.