BOPARC announces city wide Halloween contest

RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. (WV News) — It’s that time of year, time for the spooky to come out in the form of home decor.

The Ravenswood Board of Parks and Recreation (BOPARC) is once again hosting its annual Halloween House Decorating Contest.

Superintendent of BOPARC, Katrena Ramsey, said the event began in 2019 and has grown each year since.

“We have one family who participated when we first started and they now work on their display all year long and have a haunted house tour to raise money for a local non-profit,” she said. “It’s ‘frightening’ how much this contest has caught on in Ravenswood.”

Categories include Gruesomely Ghoulish, Notable Novice (never won), and Creepily Creative. Two special categories have been added as well, Super’s Spookiest Choice and the Tom Lambert award.

“Tom Lambert was a well-known holiday lover,” Ramsey said. “His decorations grew and grew. To honor him, his family chooses a house to award in his memory.”

Decorations show a great range of creativity, according to Ramsey.

“My favorite part is the small creative details you need to see in person, sometimes during the day,” she said. “Last year I was surprised by an entrant that had an entire miniature Halloween village in his garage. It’s unbelievable.”

Lights must be on by 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 26 for judging. Winners will be announced on Friday, October 27. They will receive an award and have their pictures in the newspaper.