Kids and adults alike will be enthralled with Fort Nisqually's annual Halloween event. Bonfires, Beaver Pelts and Bogeymen has become a successful tradition over the past 20 years and will take place Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24 from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Guests will be able to stroll down a path lit up by jack-o-lanterns to an area with some bleachers and benches. There, guests will be enchanted as Karen Haas and Sarah Comer, dressed in period clothing, tell scary stories from the 1850's. Both Haas and Comer are volunteers who are known for their exceptional story-telling talents.

Guests who plan on attending Bonfires, Beaver Pelts and Bogeymen should plan on dressing for the weather as the event will proceed, rain or shine. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets to get cozy in or lawn chairs to sit in as they listen to the stories being told. The event will be split into two parts, with a short intermission in between. The first half of the event will have milder stories that the younger crowd will certainly enjoy. Children are then welcome to take home parents who might find themselves a little scared by the more intense stories following the intermission! During the intermission, everyone will enjoy snacking on cookies and cider that will be provided.

In our modern times, haunted houses seem to be the popular place to go for Halloween, but Lane Sample, Site Supervisor of Fort Nisqually, thinks that Fort Nisqually has something different. "There are very few, if any, places that people have the opportunity to listen to old fashioned storytelling," Sample said. "Hass and Comer are phenomenal story tellers." This unique event has been popular among the community as can be easily explained by their successful track record. The annual two-day event can bring in anywhere between 200 to 500 people each year. "We have quite a following," said Sample. "People literally wait for our tickets to go on sale each year."

Bonfires, Beaver Pelts and Bogeymen is a fundraising event hosted by the Fort Nisqually Foundation. All proceeds from the event directly support Fort Nisqually. Haas and Comer happily volunteer their talents for the event. Fort Nisqually stands as the South Sound's premiere living history museum. They are proud to offer many different educational programs as well as events that highlight the area during the 19th century.

Guests may purchase advance tickets at a discounted price of $7 for adults and $5 for children. These advance tickets are good for either Friday or Saturday night's event. For more information, please visit www.fortnisquallyfoundation.org or call 253.591.5339.