Menifee HallowFest: You asked, we delivered

There will be Mr. Porkpie, vendor booths, costume contests and a whole lot more Saturday at Menifee HallowFest. Menifee 24/7 photo: Doug Spoon

It's now less than a week until our Menifee 24/7 "Truck or Treat" HallowFest, presented by RE/MAX Diamond, and every day we hear from more people who are looking forward to our best Halloween event yet.

It has been a monumental task putting together such a huge event, but both the staff of Menifee 24/7 and Cynthia Nemelka of RE/MAX Diamond believe it is important to continue the kind of family-friendly event our residents have come to expect.

Once again, here are the highlights of our event and the reasons we are working so hard to make them available to you at Menifee HallowFest, which takes place from 1-9 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 22, at Wheatfield Park, 30627 Menifee Road:

Food trucks: When we started this event three years ago, the only food served came from a Little League snack bar. You asked for more food choices, so we added options the last two years. This time, we have an elite lineup of 14 food trucks that will be conveniently placed in two locations across the park. They are serving everything from the traditional festival fare of burgers and hot dogs to lobster, New Orleans cuisine, tacos and Italian food.

Costume contest: What's a Halloween festival without a kids' costume contest? With all the things we've added, we would never take the focus off the children. We've actually made it easier for the kids and parents this year by spreading out the age competitions throughout the afternoon and eliminating the registration process. Just show up at the advertised time and get ready to walk on the stage. And we have great trophies this year! We even have categories for adults, families and pets.

Vendor booths: Between the major businesses that are attending and the small businesses bringing crafts and items to sell, we will have more than 75 booths for adults to visit. Many of them will offer candy for trick or treaters and games for the kids as well.

Live entertainment: We know that people of all ages want to be entertained, and it takes more than food and costume contests to do that. Live performers include the Romoland Tiger Dance Group, Starlight Singers, Ohana Club Paloma, Diana's Dance Club and our headliner band, Eclipse.

Kids zone: We listened when you asked for more "jumpers" for the kids. This year we've brought in inflatables and other activities from three different companies. In addition to the traditional bounce houses, we'll have a Mickey's Playground, slides and more. And the best part is, these attractions are free. Kids will be given a punch card for visits to each attraction to eliminate continual use by the same children. Only then, when the punch cards are used up, will we charge a small fee for additional punch cards.

Teen zone: Another first this year includes a separate fun zone for teens, including a velcro wall, boxing ring, sports center and other games. The teen band Burnout will perform on the teen stage, which has its own DJ.

Dunk tank: This may be one of the most popular additions to our festival. No, we won't ask the kids to get their costumes soaked by climbing into the tank. Instead, we'll put some adults up there that the kids might want to send into the water -- coaches, youth leaders and representatives of community groups. This will be a fundraiser with each group given a half-hour or hour-long time period to raise money. You get three balls for a dollar, with larger donations encouraged. All money collected for each time period will go to that organization. If you'd like your group to be considered for a time in the dunk tank, email menifee247info@gmail.com.

And most important of all:

Family atmosphere: In everything we do, we're keeping the focus on the family and the kids. We're not charging a fee for attractions. We do not allow alcohol at our event; this is not an Oktoberfest, and we believe the presence of alcohol is not appropriate. And even for our vendors, we are charging only $25 per booth -- a fraction of what other events charge.

So that's what Menifee HallowFest is all about. Come on out this Saturday, Oct. 22, from 1-9 p.m. at Wheatfield Park and join the fun. For more information, visit our website at menifeehallowfest.com.