It’s finally the big weekend everyone has been waiting for, and The Good News has you covered with all the latest and greatest going on over the Halloween weekend. Trunk or treats, carnivals, and fall festivals will reign supreme, but don’t forget about all the furbabies out there. A rabies clinic will be happening at the Bladen County APS, and ‘Nightmare on Paw Street’ will be happening right here in Columbus.
The CCN Trick or Treat Guide has been updated, and Friday is the big day for everyone to put on those costumes and head out in style. If you don’t know where to go, take a look at all the candy haunts scheduled at https://columbuscountynews.com/2025/09/ccn-trick-or-treat-guide-2025/.
Southeastern Community College, the HEARTS Foundation, and Columbus County Parks and Recreation are teaming up to present their Trunk or Treat on Thursday, Oct. 30 from 6-8 p.m. at the SCC. There will be costume and trunk contests, games, food, candy, and lots of fun at the event.
For more information, contact Lashoney Frink at 910.625.1745 or Ashley McPherson at 910.788.6243. SCC’s address is 4564 Chadbourn Highway in Whiteville.
When you’re done grabbing all that candy at SCC, take a little five-minute trip down the road to the animal shelter for some more goodies and furbabies. Columbus County Sheriff’s Animal Protective Services will be joining in on the Halloween fun in the name of animal adoption this year. ‘A Nightmare on Paw Street’ will take place on Oct. 30 from 7-9 p.m.
You and your family can have a ‘pawsitively’ good time with a furry friend to take home. There will be music, games, food with no tricks, and all treats. APS is located at 288 Legion Drive in Whiteville.
This weekend will be the final round of the Grissettown-Longwood Fire Department haunted trail. The gate will be open from 7-10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31, for Halloween night.
Tickets are $20 per person, and you can get yours by calling 910.287.3030 or by visiting www.grissettownfire.com. The station can be found at 758 Longwood Road in Ocean Isle Beach.
Folks in on the west side of the county have another opportunity to trick or treat and fellowship across the state line in Loris, SC. Capture Inc. Community Center will have a fall festival and trunk or treat on Oct. 31 from 3-6 at their Child Development Department. There will be inflatables, music, food, candy, and lots of fun. Capture is located at 4350 Spring Street in Loris.
Bladen County Animal Control will host “Trick or Treat for Shelter Pets” on Oct. 31 from 1-5 p.m. The event will include a rabies clinic with vaccines for $10 each and reduced adoption fees for the animals at the facility.
If you’re thinking about taking home a new furry best friend, it will only cost you $15 to adopt a cat for snuggles or $30 a dog to get all those sweet slobbery puppy kisses. Bladen APS can be found at 506 Smith Circle in Elizabethtown.
Troop Hard Charger of the Sheepdog Foundation will be having a lunch plate fundraiser on Oct. 31 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Reggae Cafe will be open to assist with the event. Plates will include Jamaican Curry Chicken, white rice, plantains, and steamed cabbage.
To-go plates will be available, but if you can’t make it, you can use the link at www.sheepdogfdn.com/donations to contribute monetarily. The plate sale will take place at 426 South Lee Street in Whiteville.
Mariah McDonald and her family are our Good Samaritans for this week. The clan built and stocked a blessing box for struggling families at Riegelwood Park at the ballfield located at the intersection of Waccamaw Road and Green Road. Those in need can stop by the box and pick up everything they need from baby formula to personal hygiene products.
If you would like to donate to the cause, you can Venmo McDonald at @riahbaby1108 or Cash App her at $riahbaby1108. You can also stop by the box and fill it yourself.
Acceptable items include:
Can, boxed, or bagged non-perishable foods
Wipes
Diapers and Pull-ups
Baby formula and snacks
Hygiene products
Household items (dish and laundry detergent, toilet paper, etc.)
Bottled water
Powdered milk
Baby food
Snack on the go
OTC medications/Supplements
October 31 may be Halloween, but it’s also the last day to sponsor a wreath for ‘National Wreaths Across America Day’ with the Veterans Memorial Park of America. All wreaths purchased will be placed on the graves of veterans at the park, the Columbus Memorial Park, New Hope Baptist Church, Chadbourn Memorial Cemetery, and Wright Cemetery on Dec. 13.
Visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/NC0653P to help honor these local heroes.
Christmas is right around the corner, and Abundant Life Assembly of God will be having their Toys for Tots sign up on Nov. 1 and Dec. 6 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the church. Please bring I.D. and proof of children in the home (insurance cards, birth certificates, school I.D., etc.) with you to 5384 James B. Highway South in Whiteville.
Fair Bluff will have their November First Saturday Market on Saturday, Nov. 1, starting at 8 a.m. Along with the usual vendors and yard sellers, West Columbus High School and the Fair Bluff Chamber of Commerce will be on site selling spot plates for $10 each.
The plates will include two fish, sweet potato fries, slaw, and bread. All proceeds will go towards the WCHS FFA and the Chamber. There will also be a Veterans event at the market. All activities will take place at Riverside Drive in Fair Bluff.
Union Baptist Church will have a fall festival on Nov. 1 from 12-4 p.m. There will be food trucks, vendors, games, music, face painting, a Bible lesson, and a pumpkin patch. The church can be found at 2290 Old Northeast Road in Lake Waccamaw.
Hallsboro Baptist Church will host a fall festival the day after Halloween, Nov. 1, from 6-8 p.m. There will be a chili cook off, games, prizes, fellowship, and a bouncy house. The church’s address is 551 Hallsboro Road South.
Cherry Grove Baptist Church will have a turkey shoot on Nov. 1 starting at 6 p.m. The cost is $5 a round, and ammunition is included. There will also be a BB gun kids round.
Music, chili, delicious desserts, and lots of fellowship are going on that evening, and those interested can call 843.877.3544 to find out all the details. The church is located at 9833 Swamp Fox Highway West in Cerro Gordo.
Columbus County Disaster Coalition will host their ‘Faith and Preparedness’ event on Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Vineland Station Depot. Several speakers will highlight the areas they work in, how you can be involved, plus resources and information you can take back to your members.
Refreshments will be provided, and registration is required by Nov. 7. Only three people per group is requested. You can sign up by emailing columbuscountydisasterco2025@gmail.com. Vineland is located at 701 South Madison Street in Whiteville.
The Lake Waccamaw Food Ministry is collecting donations of turkeys, or funds to purchase them, for the Nov. 22 distribution day. The group hopes to provide for 200 local families in need.
Checks call be mailed to LWFM, P.O. Box 64, Lake Waccamaw, NC 28450, or you can donate personally by calling Sylvia Patton at 910.641.7017.
The Sheep Dog Foundation and the McMullen House of Heroes will be hosting their first annual Heroes Feast on Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, from 12-2 p.m. This meal is for on duty law enforcement, firefighters, correctional officers, dispatchers, emergency services personnel, and support personnel to honor your sacrifice of being on call during the holiday.
The event will be held at 426 South Lee Street in Whiteville. Donations and volunteers are greatly appreciated, and those interested in doing so can email info@sheepdogfdn.com .
Last week, the Columbus County Sherriff’s Office got a big donation to the department’s D.A.R.E. Program for kids. Gary Bass of the Columbus County ABC Board presented a check for $7,123 to Sheriff Bill Rogers. This donation will directly support the efforts to educate youth in Columbus County schools about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and violence.
Remember to check out our Good News tab throughout the week. We love to hear about all the great things happening around you. Email your submissions to thegoodnews@columbuscountynews.com or crystalfaircloth@columbuscountynews.com; call us at 910.914.6056 or just drop by our office at 1015 South Madison St., Whiteville. We love visitors. If the blinds are open, we’re open for business.
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