UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A family-friendly fall festival featuring pumpkin carving, face painting, music and more returns to Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center on Oct. 26 and 27.

The Enchanted Halloween Trail and Festival will be held at Shaver’s Creek, located in Petersburg, Huntingdon County, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 26 and 27. The community festival includes the kid-friendly Halloween trail, where children learn about the natural history associated with the holiday in non-scary ways.

Admission to the festival is free, and tickets for the Enchanted Halloween Trail are $5 for children and adults (free for ages 3 and younger). Visit the event website to purchase trail tickets in advance.

Tesha Omeis, program director for the festival, says the weekend is all about making connections.

“We hope visitors come away with an awareness of what is happening outdoors this time of year and how each one of us is connected to the season,” she said.

The theme for this year’s festival and trail is “nighttime is a great time to explore,” and the trail consists of five stations where visitors will learn about the unique characteristics of glow worms, moths, opossums, and night sounds, comparing nocturnal mammals with those most active during both dawn and dusk. Penn State students, who earn credit for designing, creating and performing their lessons, staff the trail stations.

Festival-goers can also participate in the children’s costume competition and the pumpkin carving contest. Children are encouraged to attend the festival in a creative costume, and pumpkins will be available for the carving contest. Entries will be accepted both days and winners will be notified on Oct. 31.

Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center — an outreach service of Penn State — is the University’s outdoor education field lab and nature center. Visit the Shaver’s Creek website for more information.