Zaxby’s Scare on the Square will be held downtown Statesboro October 27 4:30-9 p.m. This year’s event is sure to scare, excite, and delight as always! We will continue to have all of the activities for children in the Pumpkin Patch, the Haunted Hayride (a Ghost-buster’s Theme this year!) and the Haunted House on Hill Street. However, as we started planning for this years’ experience, we realized that there were members of our community who were not able to participate in past years’ experiences and we wanted to do something to change that. As a result, this years’ Zaxby’s Scare on the Square is being designed as an inclusive experience. We want to create activities and an environment that welcomes all members of our community regardless of disability or ability. Our desire is that members of our community who have any kind of disability will be able to participate in this years’ experience. Toward that end, we are working on the following adaptations and accommodations.
The hayride and haunted house will both be accessible to community members in wheelchairs. The haunted house will still be an adult themed experience with all of the scares and psychological fears that we can bring to bear, but any member of our community who uses a wheelchair will be able to participate in the haunted house. Likewise, the haunted hayride will still be geared for elementary/middle school students and their families, but it too will be accessible for those using wheelchairs. It will remain an interactive experience where those on the ride become part of the story-line!
Perhaps the largest area where we are going to work to provide an inclusive atmosphere and experience is in the Pumpkin Patch. We will still have games and activities for children like art projects and potato sack races, but we will be adding sensory experiences. This will allow children with a variety of ability levels to interact and participate fully in the event. Additionally, we are going to be including a quiet zone for children who need to take a break from the festivities. This room will provide a quiet space where children can rest and recharge and is located in the Georgia Southern BIG classroom. There will be more sensory opportunities in this space where children can interact with the world around them but in a more quiet and relaxed manner.
“Our hope this year is to continue to provide the same amazing Scare on the Square experience but allow ALL members of our community to feel welcome to participate. We are very grateful for Dr. Troy Lawhorn Statesboro Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery for the continued sponsorship. It is through his generous support that Georgia Southern Recreational Therapy students are able to have the materials to create the Haunted House, Hayride and the ‘Pumpkin Patch’ activities”- said Dr. Brent Wolfe Professor, Recreational Therapy at Georgia Southern College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.
Kidz Farm will provide Alpaca fun and our fun train ride in the Synovus parking lot, trunk-or-treating on East Main Street and candy-land maze in the alley by the GS Big Fab Lab and next to Cake & Cool Beanz Coffee.
Dress the whole family up and head downtown to participate in the biggest costume contest in town beginning at 4:30 p.m., on the steps of City Hall. The Statesboro Herald will have a fantastic MC and judges for the contest. We have really good prizes thanks to the sponsorship of many local businesses.
The costume contest will be broken into five age categories, 0-3 at 5:00 p.m., 4-8 at 5:50 p.m., 9-12 at 6:25 p.m., 13-17 at 7:00 p.m., and 18+ at 7:30 p.m., with registration beginning at 4:00 p.m. In order to participate, you must sign up 30 minutes before your age group time begins.
Wet your appetite with an assortment of food vendors: Zaxby’s, Ogeechee Masonic Lodge 213, Boyd’s Boiled Peanuts, Wavee Shavee Ice, Old Firetruck BBQ, Cork’s Kettle Corn, Higgins Place LLC, A&J Funnel Cakes, Chazitos Latin Cuisine, Treats & Sweets by Iris, Big Boy Cookies, Metter Meats, Piña Colada, Three Tree Coffee, 4 & 20 Bakers, Panera Bread, Chicken Salad Chick, and Coca Cola.
Parking is available in public parking lots behind the County Annex, West Main St., City Hall, Railroad St., Vine St, Cherry St. and side streets.