Free Pumpkin Crafts and Lawn Games at the Lake Saturday
Paris, ID · October 9, 2026
Overcast skies are keeping things quiet across the valley this morning, leaving plenty of room to ease into a busy October weekend.
The Lead
The autumn lull around Bear Lake gets a lively jolt Saturday when the annual Monster Mash takes over the Bear Lake State Park Visitor Center in St. Charles. Running from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, the free community gathering brings families together for pumpkin decorating, harvest games, and seasonal treats just a quick ten-minute drive south along Highway 89.
For valley residents, the afternoon marks one of the final organized open-air traditions before park operations shift into winter mode. While summer recreation crowds have packed up, October brings a quieter beauty to the lakeshore, framed by gold-leafed aspens along the lower canyon slopes. Organizers encourage parents to arrive right at two o’clock so younger children have ample daylight for crafts before mountain shadows bring the evening chill.
Local Pulse
- Bears Travel for Key Conference Clash Schools Bear Lake Varsity Football kicks off Friday night looking to extend momentum after last week's dominant road victory.
Today's Outlook
- High 74°F · Low 37°F — Overcast
- Start out with a sturdy jacket early, then shed layers for a pleasant afternoon.
What's On Around Town
Today
- The Ghost of Dead Man's Creek Pickleville Playhouse (2049 S Bear Lake Blvd), Garden City, 8:00 PM · Paid Family-friendly melodrama comedy set in an eccentric western ghost town.
Tomorrow
- Bear Lake Monster Mash Bear Lake State Park Visitor Center (25 E 300 N), St. Charles, 2:00–4:00 PM · Free
- The Ghost of Dead Man's Creek Pickleville Playhouse (2049 S Bear Lake Blvd), Garden City, 8:00 PM · Paid
Spotlight & Story
- Fish Haven
- Trappers once called the shoreline stream Rush Creek, but surveyor Joseph C. Rich changed all that in 1864. Hauling a seine net through the creek mouth with John Bagley, they landed 96 native trout and rode back to proclaim they’d found a veritable haven.
Paris Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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