Camp Bayou's annual Fright Night, formally called the Fall Night Fest, returns Saturday, Oct. 3, with guided night hikes, campfire ghost stories and s'mores at the Ruskin nature preserve.

The event runs from 5 to 9 p.m. at Camp Bayou, 4140 24th St. SE, as first reported by the Observer News. Admission is $5 per person, and advance RSVPs are required because each guided walk holds a maximum of 20 participants.

Camp Bayou board member Noelle Licor organized the event. Camp Bayou Director Dolly Cummings will lead and narrate the guided walks.

"I love fall and Halloween, and Camp Bayou is the perfect place to host this type of event," Licor told the Observer News. "We have so much fun putting it together, and the crowd's response has been very positive."

Guided night hikes for kids and adults

Fall nature crafts and games open the evening from 5 to 7 p.m. The first guided walk leaves at 6:30 p.m. That 30-minute hike is geared toward younger children and focuses on Camp Bayou's nocturnal wildlife and how to spot them.

Hikes for older kids and adults start at 7 p.m., with additional departures at 7:30 and 8 p.m., and those walks feature stories about Camp Bayou's history and local lore. Along the trail, participants may pass an old graveyard, a 400-year-old tree and flickering lights. Bats and owls are possible sightings.

Each walk ends around the campfire with s'mores and ghost stories.

Raffle proceeds benefit the nature center

Little Manatee River State Park and the South Shore Regional Library will also take part in the evening's activities.

A silent raffle auction will offer community-donated wreaths, science kits, books and plants. Raffle tickets cost $1 each. All proceeds benefit Camp Bayou.

About Camp Bayou and how to RSVP

Last year's event drew 60 people. Camp Bayou is a public-private partnership between the nonprofit Bayou Outdoor Learning and Discovery Inc. and Hillsborough County Conservation & Environmental Lands Management. The center sits within the Little Manatee Corridor Nature Preserve, 3 miles south of State Road 674.

To RSVP or for more information, email [email protected] or call 813-641-8545.

Upcoming community events

• Saturday, Oct. 3: Camp Bayou Fright Night, 5-9 p.m., 4140 24th St. SE, Ruskin. $5 per person; RSVP required.
• Tuesday, Oct. 6: Ruskin chili cook-off fundraiser for dog rescue.