Costumed families gather for fun learning at Fall Fest

Dozens of families gathered today for the annual Fall Family Fun Fest at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.

After passing through a spooky tunnel of spiderwebs and fog, visitors were treated to the Visitor Center decked out in full Halloween glory.

Ranger Jane Terry, in costume as naturalist John Muir, played a big part in putting the event together. Terry says the event is great for combining educational experiences with the festive mood of the holiday season.

“It’s really a fun way for parents and kids to learn together,” Terry says.

“We provide a fun way to learn about the natural world,” says interpreter Laurie Craig.

This year’s fest follows a decade of festivals, with educational games including mask-making, print-making, an ice tunnel crawl, petroglyphs, and dissecting owl pellets.

Craig and Terry say that the event is all about the people with volunteers from the Park Service and the Visitor Center leading kids through fun events.