The Wilderness Center’s Enchanted Forest returns Oct. 10–11

The Wilderness Center will host its annual Enchanted Forest Friday, Oct. 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 11, from 4 to 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $12 per person, with children 2 and under admitted free. Saturday afternoon time slots are recommended for younger children who may feel anxious about entering the forest after dark.

Tickets go on sale for Wilderness Center members Monday, Aug. 11, and for the general public Tuesday, Sept. 2. The event has been a fall tradition for families throughout the region for more than 30 years.

Visitors will meet costumed volunteers portraying woodland creatures such as Caterpillar, Raccoon, Salamander and Opossum in their forest “homes,” guided by a quiet “Firefly” along a jack-o’-lantern-lined trail. Characters will sing, tell jokes and share stories of nocturnal life in the woods.

Afterward, weather permitting, guests may visit The Wilderness Center’s observatory to view the night sky through telescopes.

The half-mile trail is lit by solar-powered lanterns and jack-o’-lanterns, and flashlights are not permitted. The event is held rain or shine, and guests are encouraged to dress for the weather and wear shoes suitable for unpaved trails. Children are also encouraged to dress as their favorite animals.

Enchanted Forest supports The Wilderness Center’s mission to inspire and nurture a connection between people and nature through habitat conservation, environmental education and community engagement. Tickets are nonrefundable.