Harvest Festival is an alternative to Halloween norm

Calvary Chapel Spring Valley to host 15th annual event on Monday

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Calvary Chapel Spring Valley, 7175 W. Oquendo Road, will be offering an alternative to the customary house-to-house trick-or-treating on Halloween. The church will host its 15th annual Harvest Festival from 5-9 p.m. on Monday.

"It was originally a very small event," Chuck Davison, church administrator, said. "There was an opportunity to create a safe place for kids to play games and get candy."

The word small is no longer used to describe the festival. Last year more than 5,000 people attended, according to Davison. "We had a turn-style counter to get an idea of how many people attended."

"Now we have security and Metro even has to come in for the traffic," he said.

The festivities will be held on about 7 acres of sports fields. Carnival games and rides will be offered along with live music, pony rides, a petting zoo -- featuring sheep, goats, pigs, ducks and an alpaca -- and of course a plethora of candy.

"It would take you about five blocks of walking door-to-door to get the amount of candy you'll get here," Davison said. "And here the parents can have a good time and get involved rather than walking a few steps and stopping on the sidewalk while the child goes up to the door."

"It really is a great, fun and safe alternative to going trick-or-treating," said Mike Katz, children's ministry director.

Davison and his wife will enjoy the evening with their three children.

"I wouldn't take my kids trick-or-treating," he said. "You never know people's agendas, or if they have ulterior motives. I just don't think it is safe in today's world."

There is no admission charge and the games and entertainment are free. Food, such as hot dogs, funnel cakes and other carnivals treats can be purchased. For unlimited access to the rides and petting zoo, a wristband can be purchased for $3 per child.

"It's a break-even proposition on the food and rides," Davison said. "Everything else is donated. The point isn't to make money, it's to bring the community together."

The rides are clustered together in age appropriate areas. The age brackets are designated for children 3-5, which includes a carousel; kindergarten through fifth grade, with an obstacle course; and sixth grade through adults includes a mechanical bull this year.

"We welcome the entire city of Las Vegas, the whole valley," Davison said. "There is a prayer booth for those who feel like they would like to use it. But we're not pushing our church or religious messages. We are just providing a safe, loving atmosphere."

Davison explained that upon entering, bags are distributed for collecting candy, and the bag contains a small two-page pamphlet with a crossword puzzle aimed at children containing the church's contact information.

"Our intention is to make people feel comfortable, and that's what we do," Davison said. "If anything has a message, like 'James and the Professor' (a puppet show), it has a moralistic and basic Christian message, not a religious message."

Costumes are encouraged at the festival, however, scary costumes are not welcomed. "We make it an environment where anyone feels comfortable," he said. "We don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable or to have the young kids being traumatized by scary costumes."

Davison said the goal of the Harvest Festival, besides children receiving candy safely, is to focus on the original context of the beginning of autumn.

"We are celebrating the coming of fall. That's what it was all about back in the 1700s and 1800s, harvests being plentiful. Not about scary things and frightening costumes. Our desire is to make it more of a fair where every member of the family can enjoy themselves."

The live music will be provided by three Christian bands throughout the evening. "James and the Professor" puppet show will be performed by a ventriloquist and will begin at 6, 7 and 8 p.m.

"We're here to create a safe and loving environment for the kids and families of the community to have a good time and get some candy," Senior Pastor John Michaels, said.

For more information, call 362-9000.