However you celebrate this season, there's something in town for you

It's finally a bit cooler, pumpkins are appearing on local porches, and there are more festive events coming up than you can shake your broom at. From fall festivals to Halloween frights, there are plenty of opportunities to get the kids out to enjoy the season and pick up some candy, of course.

Back again this year, Sumter Museum is hosting its Backcountry Fall Fest, with treats for the little ghouls and princesses, and you can walk around the replica backcountry homestead to see how fall might have looked 200 years ago in Sumter. It won't quite be Salem, but it will be a chance to learn about the past right here at home. If you want to celebrate with the furry friends in your life, Sumter SPCA is hosting a fundraising Petoberfest this year, with trick-or-treating and free Bark Park for the dogs.

If you're into the scarier side of the holiday, don't forget about the Terror Trail, which is created each year by area Boy Scouts and benefits the organization. It's in the woods by Second Mill and will be sure to have you screaming with horror around every corner. (I know, because I live in a neighborhood across the lake and can hear the yelling in the evenings on the weekends this time of year when I walk my dog.)

However you celebrate Halloween, there's likely something in town going on that you'll enjoy.

Just after the holiday, we head to the polls to choose who we want to represent us, from local races including school board and probate judge to state representatives, governor and more. Find what you'll need to know before you vote in our 2026 General Election guide, on pages A14-A20. If you'd like to read all the Q&As we received from candidates this year about their platforms, ideas and why they think you should vote for them, use the QR code on page A14. Hover your phone's camera over the code, and click the link that pops up. It will take you to our free-to-read Q&As. In this Sumter Item Impact vote guide, you'll find information about absentee voting, early voting, a precinct list and a list of all candidates running for office. Be sure to do your civic duty if you're eligible to vote.

We hope you enjoy this fall season, and we'll see you at the polls. Follow www.theitem.com for free election updates, which will also be published in our print edition after Election Day.