First Annual Pumpkin Glow Set for Saturday

The Auburndale school forest is hosting the first annual Auburndale School Forest Pumpkin Glow on Saturday.

There will be a corn maze and trails with pumpkins lighting the way from 1-8 p.m. The Pumpkins will be lit up from 5-8 p.m. and all donations will go towards “The Fix is In” spay and neuter clinic.

The clinic provides low-cost, high-quality neutering for cats and dogs all over central Wisconsin.

Auburndale agriculture teacher Mark Cournoyer emphasized that all events held will be contactless as even the donation area will be a mailbox that people can drop donations off in.

Cournoyer has been helping prepare the forest along with help from his agriculture class and community members.

According to Cournoyer, it will take up to an hour to go through the corn maze and find all the scavenger hunt-type activities. The paths are stroller-friendly and kids are encouraged to dress up in halloween costumes.

The school forest itself has been undergoing a major overhaul to make it more accessible to the public. Over the last eight months, the forest has added two and a half miles of walking trails according to Cournoyer.

“Everything has shaped up and really developed,” Cournoyer said. “We’ve got gravel trails and wood chip trails and we even have a little bit of slope out there for cross-country skiing this winter.”

These trails have attracted walkers and nature-goers and each week, the forest is sponsored by a different organization. All donations that are made that week are put towards that particular group.

Cournoyer said in the past, the forest has donated to Toys for Tots, people with overwhelming medical bills, and the Auburndale volleyball team, among others.

Cournoyer is very excited for people to see all the hard work the community has put in and realize what is hiding in the forest.

“It has just been a lot of fun and people are discovering this is a really cool place,” Cournoyer said. “I’m very excited for people to come out and visit and see what’s in their backyard. This is a gem right in the heart of the Auburndale community.”

If you would like to donate carved pumpkins to the walk, crew members will be out by the forest setting up around noon on Saturday. You are encouraged to bring those pumpkins to be put on display.

To learn more about “The Fix is In”, head to https://thefixisin.org/.