Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
Maria Favereaux and Barbara Gladden of the Shafter Woman's Club transformed their car into a kid-friendly monster theme to delight the little ones.
Chloe Garza, 7, and Eric Garza, 5, were dressed up and ready to trunk or treat at the Harvest Festival.
In costume as Beauty and the Beast, Roy and Rebecca Miller enchanted those at the event.
Event chair Jessica Peña, her father Gilberto Peña Jr. and brother Gilberto Peña III are Lions Club members, making it a family affair.
The Starbucks drive-thru served treats with its trunk design.
Aaron Perlman and Matt Pelishek from 88.3 Life FM entertained the crowd.
Shafter High students cranked up the scare factor with their haunted house, featuring a chilling red room and an eerily captivating girl that left visitors on edge.
The Lions Club sponsors various community events, from the Cinco de Mayo celebration to the Christmas Parade.
The Shafter Harvest Festival was a night filled with trunk or treating, a haunted house, food trucks, music, and a variety of games and activities. Sponsored by the Shafter Lions Club in partnership with the city and supported by numerous local organizations, the event celebrated the spirit of community.
Councilmember Gilbert Alvarado remarked, "As president of the Lions Club, it was our pleasure to be part of something as big as this event turned out to be. Seeing the turnout, with attendance between 6,000 and 8,000 people from Shafter, Bakersfield, Wasco, Buttonwillow and beyond, was incredible. The most rewarding aspect was seeing everyone having fun, coming together, and knowing everyone stayed safe without accidents or injuries. We couldn't ask for more, and we hope to do this again next year."
He added that the festival fostered community engagement, "It created a lot of unity. You had all the schools in Shafter, local businesses and family members who participated in the trunk or treat. Many service clubs either participated in the trunk or treat or had booths, and there were churches. It drew everybody out, and that created community engagement."
The Trunk or Treat featured over 30 cars adorned with festive Halloween decorations. Mariela Alejandre of Fiesta Insurance attended with Max, their mascot, distributing more than 50 pounds of candy from their Fiesta car. With a big smile, she wished everyone a happy Halloween, saying, "As a company, we love being involved in all of the community events, and Halloween is one of my favorite holidays."
Several organizations set up information booths, providing educational materials and resources. The Shafter Library & Learning Center gave out over 200 books, while the Shafter Police Department emphasized the importance of maintaining positive community relationships. The Minter Field Air Museum showcased their OH6 Vietnam-era helicopter, a "kid magnet."
Angelica Valladolid attended with her children Leilani, Gabriel, Robert and Aiden. She shared, "They enjoyed it because they saw a lot of costumes and how creative they were, and they got to try different activities. It was a time for family bonding, and there were many nice people. Everybody was saying hi."
A haunted house run by Shafter High students drew long lines and thrilled attendees. Charletta Johnson said, "It was awesome. The kids were phenomenal actors, and I liked how they had two different sections - one for kids and one for adults. It was scary for the adults! The students did a fantastic job with the decorations. I've lived in Shafter for 15 years, and this festival was one of the best things I've seen in our community."
Aaron Perlman and his partner, Matt Pelishek, from Radio 88.3 Life FM brought DJ lights and played a mix of family-friendly music, keeping the kids dancing all night. Perlman exclaimed, "This is the best experience. The best harvest festival I've ever been to."
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