Thread: Neighborhood Hayride

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So my neighborhood association just announced that they're thinking of doing a hayride or a harvest party or something this year for Halloween. I think there may be enough energy to really follow through with the plans. How can I help make this a fun event, keeping in mind that I am insanely busy during October?
We're in a small city just outside Atlanta, very walkable neighborhood, mostly older homes, a park, couple of churches, and businesses around the edges, roughly four blocks by three blocks. They're calling it a "harvest" event in the newsletter, but I am pretty sure that's because they weren't quite certain how people will respond yet. Should be pretty positive - I had over 350 TOTs last year.

Anyone ever organize a hayride in a mostly urban area? Looking for suggestions I can pass along, since I am trying really hard not to volunteer to be in charge.

Hm. Do you have any "haunted" locations in your town? Or maybe it can be suggested that the town, or section of, can be a decorated area. That way the hayride can go through that area. If this is something that the whole town is getting into the possibilities are endless. We have a small hayride in our cities town square. Theres cider being served and pumpkin and spice cakes. Theres a coouple contests going on for the kids. Pumpkin painting, costumes. Im actually friends with 2 city councilmen and am thinking of getting involved this year.

We do one every year where we live. We use a playground area, which like many playgrounds has a lot of trees surrounding it. We have a tractor and trailer than works it's way around the outer edge of the trees where we have our displays and "actors" staged out, and the tractor stops at each site. Makes for about a 30-minute ride and works pretty well.

You're lucky your town is allowing hayrides - ours quit doing there's because of the liability.

Are there a few popular TOT houses in your area that you could make as stops (including yours) on the ride?

Also, a local one used to build a haunted cemetary in the park & have kids jump out & scare the hayrack riders.

That is very cool, njwilk. I wish that people got into Halloween more around here; I'd love to play a part in doing something like that. I really don't know what to suggest, but I hope that it goes well

My neighborhood did a hayride for a couple of years. I didn't organize it, but it was very popular. Just a pick-up truck pulling a long, flat trailer with hay bales to sit on. The trailer was also decorated with Halloween themed light strings, which I assume were run off a converter.
I always liked it when they would stop in front of MY house.

Thanks for the comments and ideas, everyone. I'm starting to see different parts of the neighborhood transformed in my mind. That big lawn in front of the apartment complex - perfect for a graveyard. The funky street at the west end of the neighborhood must be included - if even a few of the artists over there get into it, it's a can't-miss part of the hayride. And the trees are old and hang over the street, a little spooky at night. My house, of course. One of the church parking lots would be the perfect spot to board the hayride. The cross-street that dead-ends at the creek could be blocked off for tables and music - it's in my block so people could wander back and forth to my haunt and to a party.

I only wish there was a way to do a hayride in my parts!.... We are in a suburban area that has no fields or dirt paths for an organized hayride..

But it would be cool to get a big decorated ATV with a safe/legal small trailer customized with coffin shaped seats for 12!

I think that is a wonderful idea. GOOD LUCK!

I wish we could do one here also just hard to find the right location and enought help. I do a Christmas one personlity for my clubs and friends where we ride thru our neightbourhood and look at lights. Good luck with your ideal