Anderson’s New Halloween Tradition Has Food Trucks, Costumes and a Brand-New Trail

Anderson is getting a brand-new Halloween event this month, and it comes with an unusual combination: costumes, a one-mile run, food trucks and the opening of a new community trail.

The first Electric City Food Truck Festival and Halloween Fun Run is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The day begins at the Anderson Recreation Center and continues at Linley Park, turning the route between the two into part of the celebration.

First, Anderson Opens a New Trail

Before the runners and walkers take off, the City of Anderson plans a ribbon cutting for its new community trail.

Participants will then head out on a one-mile Halloween Fun Run from the recreation center toward Linley Park.

This is deliberately not a serious race.

There is no official timing, and organizers are encouraging people to run, walk, bring the kids, push a stroller and wear costumes.

In other words, nobody needs to start training for a personal record.

Then Comes the Food

Once participants reach Linley Park, the Electric City Food Truck Festival takes over with local food trucks, live music and activities for kids.

The festival is hosted by 110 North Kitchen + Commissary and is free and open to the public, even if you do not participate in the run.

Food purchases are made separately from the participating trucks, so showing up hungry is probably the correct strategy.

What the Fun Run Costs

Registration for the one-mile Fun Run is $5 per participant plus the registration platform fee.

Registered participants receive an event T-shirt, and costumes are encouraged but not required.

The run starts at the Anderson Recreation Center at 1107 N. Murray Avenue, while the festival takes place at Linley Park at 1815 Park Drive.

You can skip the run and still go straight to the food truck festival.

A Different Kind of Halloween Saturday

The event gives families another daytime option during a month usually packed with nighttime Halloween activities.

It also gives the city a chance to introduce the new trail by immediately putting people on it instead of simply cutting a ribbon and calling it a day.

That may be what makes this first-year event especially interesting.

It is part Halloween party, part community celebration and part excuse to see a new piece of Anderson while following the smell of food trucks toward Linley Park.

If year one catches on, Anderson may have just found itself a new October tradition.