The Lyndon Lions Club, along with the Friends of Pomona State Park, will sponsor a luminary display at Pomona State Park in celebration of fall and Halloween. The display, which features a large group of illuminated Halloween displays, can be seen from the comfort of your car, and will be open this Saturday, Oct. 19, and next Saturday, Oct. 26, in the Burning Heart Campground. The display begins at dark or around 7 p.m.
Over the past five years the luminaries provided by Denise Phannenstiel have been an enjoyable event for young and old, regularly scheduled for the last two Saturdays in October.
The Lyndon Lions Club conducts the event as a fundraiser for Help House in Lyndon. Admission to the display is a nonperishable item or a donation of money for the Help House.
This year’s event has a couple of added attractions. Both Saturdays, the Lyndon Cub Scout Pack will be offering a hay rack ride that will travel through the luminaries display. The scouts will accept donations for the rides for their summer camp fund.
When the luminary event was started by Phannenstiel it served as an end of season party for camping groups.
In the same spirit, the Lyndon Lions Club is planning a new event this year to celebrate cool camping weather – the group’s first chili cook-off will be on Saturday, Oct. 26. Following the chili cook-off will be a chili feed, with both events benefiting the Help House.
All area chili cooks are invited to compete and anyone with that talent is encouraged to enter their favorite chili, with a chance to win prizes of $100, $75 or $50 plus trophies.
The cook-off and chili feed will both be located at Pomona State Park’s Southwind Shelter House. Each entrant is asked to provide six quarts of chili. Chili may be cooked onsite but is not required to be. An ingredient list must be provided. Call Lyndon Lions Club President Susan McDonald at 785-289-3323 for more information and to register. Registration is required and chili entries must be available for judging by 4 pm.
At 5 p.m., following the cook-off judging, will be the chili feed at Southwind Shelter House. For a freewill donation, everyone can sample the chili contest entries, or eat only their favorite. The chili eaters are eligible to vote for the People’s Choice award winner.
Also on Oct. 26, 7-10 p.m., the park will host the Nightmare on the Trail, starting at the park entrance. The haunted trail, sponsored by the Friends of Pomona State Park with help from the Builders Club of Osage City Middle School, is intended to provide a fun and sometimes scary adventure on a real trail in the park. Donations will be accepted for the Builders Club.
Pomona State Park is hosting a free entrance day on Oct. 26, but instead of an entrance fee visitors are asked to bring nonperishable food items and leave them at the gate to be donated to Lyndon Help House. This Saturday, Oct. 19, the park will allow free entrance for the luminary display.
