According to the volunteer and wellness coordinator Laura Smith, the Westwood Halloween Party just celebrated it’s 35th year.

According to Laura Smith, most of the volunteers set up the party while the staff plans the event.

“We have more than 100 volunteers who help with everything from setup, to running the event, to take down,” Smith said.

According to Smith, many of the activities put on each year are the same and the theme each year celebrates the Westwood Nature Center.

“We have several games, from Acorn Toss to Duck Pond. We also have a Mystery Mini-golf Course and a Mother Nature’s Trail,” Smith said.

Junior Alyssa Crumb said she has been volunteering at the party for three consecutive years now and enjoys having a good time with family.

“The volunteering is really fun, you get to meet new people and see little kids dressed up in their halloween costumes so that is really cute,” Crumb said.

Sara Lindenberg, a social studies teacher at Park, said she volunteered when she was in high school a few years back.

“I volunteered there with my friends when I was a junior naturalist at the Nature Center in high school,” Lindenberg said.

Planning for the party starts eight weeks prior to the event and set up begins the Sunday the week before the party according to Smith.

“It takes us six to eight weeks to recruit and place all of the volunteers, (with) all of the activities (being) the same each year,” Smith said.

Crumb said she used to go to the event as a kid and had a positive experience.

“When I was little I always liked to do the Mother Nature’s Trail. You just go around and see all the different animals and that was pretty cool,” Crumb said.

Even with the activities being the same each year, Crumb said it never gets boring.

“I always liked going to the nature center, I still love going,” Crumb said.

According to Smith the activity attracts a lot of people.

“We had more than 1,200 attendees last year between the two nights. This year, we expect the same.”