Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, three weeks after Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin late on Friday, Oct. 9. Across Cantonment, debris is still stacked in front yards. Escambia County asked residents to put storm debris on the public right-of-way, which it defines as the part of a residential lot that runs from the street to the sidewalk, ditch, utility pole or easement. That is also the strip a trick-or-treater walks from one porch to the next. Saturday evening already has a better route, though. Cantonment's churches have scheduled their events in sequence, so a family can start at one parking lot at 4 p.m. and finish at another around 8 p.m.
Why the Curb Still Looks the Way It Does
According to the Pensacola News Journal's storm coverage, Isaias made landfall near Destin at 8:30 p.m. on a Friday. By 7:30 p.m. the next evening, 122,830 FPL customers in Escambia County were still without power.
County crews and contractors started hauling debris on Monday, Oct. 12. The county's Oct. 20 update reported more than 7,400 loads collected, about 330,000 cubic yards. The county puts the total vegetative debris from Isaias at about 2.2 million cubic yards countywide. Around 236 collection units were working across the county, plus 40 bucket trucks for tree removal. On Oct. 13, WEAR-TV reported that the county expected the cleanup to take up to four months, in multiple rounds.
With multiple rounds planned over as long as four months, piles in front of many Cantonment homes are likely to still be there on Halloween night. The county's rules also mean the debris belongs at the curb, not in a backyard where it would be out of the way:
- Only debris on the public right-of-way is eligible for pickup.
- Vegetative debris and construction debris go in separate piles.
- Debris has to be loose. Bagged debris is not collected.
- Nothing should be stacked under low-hanging power or utility lines.
The county says crews will make several passes. If a pile was missed or only partly picked up, it can stay at the curb, and you can keep adding storm debris. The county will announce the final pass before it starts. The debris call center at 850-332-1226 is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A front yard full of branches can work as a Halloween decoration. It just makes a poor sidewalk.
The Saturday Schedule, Lot by Lot
NorthEscambia.com's Oct. 23 Big List of fall events shows how neatly Cantonment's Halloween evening is laid out. Two churches start at 4 p.m. and wrap up at 6 p.m. A third starts at 6 p.m., the hour the first two end.
| Time | Host | Address | What's listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4–6 p.m. | First Baptist Church of Cantonment | 298 Morris Ave. | Trunk or treat, candy, jump house, nachos, games |
| 4–6 p.m. | Victory Assembly of God with Crossfaith Church | 1895 Victory Road | Trunk or treat, games, free hot dogs, chili, drinks, hay wagon rides, food truck, fire department truck |
| 6–8 p.m. | Pine Forest Assembly of God | 3125 Pine Forest Road | Games, candy, free food |
| 6–9 p.m. | Aldersgate Methodist Church | 6915 Highway 29 North, Molino | Trunk or treat, food, candy |
A few details from the listing that will help on Saturday:
- Parking at First Baptist Church of Cantonment. The church asks guests to park in the grass lot to the left of the new church building.
- Dinner at Victory Assembly. Free hot dogs and chili are on the menu at the 1895 Victory Road event, and it's the one stop of the night with hay wagon rides and a fire truck.
- Pine Forest Assembly picks up where the first two leave off. The 6–8 p.m. fall festival at 3125 Pine Forest Road begins just as the 4 p.m. events end. The same church held the 12th Annual Cantonment Arts & Crafts Festival at that address on Oct. 24, so many neighbors will already know the parking lot.
- Aldersgate stays open latest. If you'd rather head north up Highway 29, Aldersgate Methodist in Molino runs until 9 p.m.
The Big List is a schedule published Oct. 23, not a guarantee. Before you load the car, check with the host church or on its social media.
Getting to Pine Forest Road
The Pine Forest Assembly stop sits on a road that has seen a lot of construction this fall. The West Roberts Road and Pine Forest Road intersection closed on Oct. 22, with Pine Forest traffic detoured over Stefani and Green Hills roads. Escambia County scheduled it to reopen Monday, Oct. 26, weather permitting.
That reopening covers the intersection only. The county's Oct. 21 notice also says intermittent closures will continue on West Roberts Road until the project is done, with detours over Kingsfield, Stallion and Tate roads. In September, NorthEscambia.com reported that the $5.16 million West Roberts Road Roadway and Drainage Improvements Project was first due this fall and now has a winter completion target. The side-road entrances at Tate Road, Stallion Road and Southern Oaks Drive into Forest Creek were still gravel at the time. If your 6 p.m. drive goes through that area, plan a few extra minutes.
Fill the Morning at the Fair
The church lots cover the evening. The Pensacola Interstate Fair has made the earlier part of Oct. 31 cheap for families. The fair's Oct. 31 schedule lists Saturday as Kids' Day: children 11 and under get in free from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the midway runs as Sensory Friendly Saturday, with quieter sound and no flashing lights while all rides, vendors and attractions stay open.
Regular prices start after 2 p.m.: $14 for adults 12 and older, $6 for children 4 to 11, and free for ages 3 and under. Saturday is also an unlimited-ride day, with a $37 handstamp good on all Reithoffer Midway rides until closing. Kids between 36 and 42 inches tall have to ride with a paying adult.
The Off Axis High Dive Show is at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Robinson's Racing Pigs run at 12:30, 3:30, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., and Sea Lion Splash is at noon, 3, 6 and 8 p.m. A family that gets there at 11 a.m. can catch the noon sea lions and the 12:30 pigs, ride the quiet midway and leave before free admission ends at 2 p.m. That leaves plenty of time to get home and into costumes before the 4 p.m. trunk or treats start. The fair stays open until midnight, and The Lacs play the Pepsi Open Air Stage at 7:30 p.m. The fair's last day is Sunday, Nov. 1.
Families who'd rather skip the midway have a quieter option close to home. The Molino Library's Jar Cauldrons craft runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and kids turn old yogurt jars into small decorative cauldrons. Materials are provided while they last.
Halloween Weekend Runs Past Saturday
The schedule keeps going after Oct. 31. On Sunday, Nov. 1, Highland Baptist Church at 6240 Highway 95A North in Molino holds a Fall Fest from 5 to 7 p.m. with games, a cake walk, hayrides and photo ops.
On Friday, Nov. 6, Jim Allen Elementary School holds its carnival from 3 to 6 p.m. at 1051 Highway 95A North, Cantonment. Wristbands cost $10 and go on sale Nov. 2 through Nov. 5, so plan to buy one during the school week.
The fairgrounds stay busy through November. The calendar lists a gun show and reptile show Nov. 7–8, the F100 Gulf Coast National & Classic Ford Show Nov. 12–14, and the Knights of Valour Jubilee Renaissance Faire Nov. 21–22. WEAR TV 3's Caring at Christmas follows Dec. 11–13.
The debris crews will still be working through all of it. By Oct. 20 crews had hauled about 330,000 cubic yards, against an estimated 2.2 million cubic yards of vegetative debris alone, and WEAR reported a cleanup window of up to four months, so the piles along many Cantonment streets may outlast the Renaissance Faire. Until the county announces its final pass, the church-lot schedule is the easiest way to keep kids off the curb this Halloween.
If Isaias left you with questions about your home after the storm, from repairs to what it would sell for once the yard is cleared, Briar Patch Realty is right here in the area and happy to talk it through. Ask us for a free home valuation whenever you're ready.
