Lakewood Ranch's BooFest to add new features while supporting hurricane relief

BooFest is stepping up its fear factor. 

New to the annual Halloween festival that draws approximately 4,000 people to Main Street at Lakewood Ranch is a haunted tunnel. 

Danielle Bugel, the marketing manager for Lakewood Ranch Community Activities, said the haunted tunnel will be in the breezeway next to the Lakewood Ranch Info Center and will be appropriate for people of all ages. 

“It’s going to be on the spooky side,” Bugel said. “We’re still developing a theme for it because we want to make that a surprise.”

Don’t worry, though, it won’t be too scary, Bugel said. She said there won’t be any "jump scares" in the tunnel. 

BooFest is among the numerous Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and Lakewood Ranch parks and recreation programs and events that will continue as normal after Lakewood Ranch was mostly spared severe damage from Hurricane Milton.

“We understand that many people and families in the community and outside of the community are having a difficult and long journey as they work toward recovering things,” Bugel said. “Fortunately, Lakewood Ranch was lucky to avoid the worst impacts of the storm. Not only do we feel (BooFest) will be a much needed opportunity for the community to come together and uplift one another but we thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to help support relief efforts. 

At BooFest, the Lakewood Ranch Community Activities will be collecting donations in partnership with Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee to support people impacted by the hurricane. Suggested donations include bottled water, cleaning supplies, wheelbarrows, toilet paper, nonperishable foods, pet food and trash bags. 

“We know people lost a lot so really anything people want to donate that they would feel would be helpful to families will be accepted,” Bugel said. 

Bugel said all parks and recreation programs are continuing, except for Tennis for Adults as of Oct. 17. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities is waiting for Summerfield Community Park to be opened after it sustained some damage from debris, she said. 

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

Nicole Hackel, the events and resident experience manager for Lakewood Ranch, said although the pavilion at Waterside Place sustained some damage to its columns, Lakewood Ranch will continue events with small changes. 

Two Sights and Sounds performances are being rescheduled, but dates have yet to be announced as Lakewood Ranch waits to ensure it is safe to perform under the pavilion. 

In the meantime, Hackel said bands performing during events such as Ranch Nite Wednesday and live music at the plaza will play outside the pavilion. 

All other Lakewood Ranch events and activities will continue as scheduled.

Lakewood Ranch also is collecting donations for hurricane relief efforts at Waterside and at the Lakewood Ranch Info Center. 

BooFest will be the biggest event to occur since Hurricane Milton. 

The festival will include trick-or-treating, live music, food vendors, a kids corner and a loaded schedule of performances. 

Bugel said the stage performances will have some variety this year, which includes dance performances and martial arts demonstrations. Students with Sarasota Cuban Ballet, CapoKids, Music Compound, Arthur Murray Lakewood Ranch, among others, will perform.