STANTON - Stanton's lovely park down by the confluence of the Knife and Missouri rivers will be a thrills and chills zone tonight only.

A group of community friends will spend today decorating the park with lights, glowing pumpkins and seasonal displays and invites the public to drive on through for a fun, early Halloween party.

The park will be ready and open between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. MDT.

People can walk, or drive through and stop by the bonfire for hot chocolate and hotdogs, too.

The event is free, but donations will be gladly accepted to help buy supplies for next year's Halloween in the park.

This is the sixth year of the party. As in past years, the fun started Friday with Stanton children carving and decorating the pumpkins.

This year, there are 12 children in school, plus five girls in a three-day playschool. The girls ages 2, 3 and 4 pulled up to their pumpkins, stuck their hands inside to pull out the innards and hollered, "Yucky! Squishy!" in piping little voices.

The pumpkins were donated by Papa's Pumpkin Patch, Krause's Super Valu and the Stanton Park Board.

Patti Olander, Billie Jo Sailer and Laura Bakken, moms who help organize the park party, say it's a fun project for the people putting it on and fun for everyone who comes.

"I like seeing the kids all excited. It's something different for our community," Sailer said.

Bakken said that she likes the whole community feeling and getting together with her friends to help get the park ready for the evening.

"It's a good time for all of us to be together," she said.

Olander said the event's been getting bigger every year and last year attracted the most people.

The displays are about scarecrows, cats, pirates, pumpkins and are purposely kid friendly.

"It's not too scary," said Sailer.

(Reach reporter Lauren Donovan at 888-303-5511 or lauren@;westriv.com.)