BooFest returns this year at the Market at Lakewood Ranch

Lakewood Ranch families will be able to trick-or-treat twice Oct. 31. 

Before going door-to-door in their neighborhoods, families can go to the Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to participate in Lakewood Ranch Community Activities’ annual BooFest. 

BooFest usually takes place on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lakewood Ranch Community Activities has been planning events 30 days in advance leading to the change in venue to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. 

“This is one of those events where if we did our normal large end-to-end of Main Street, we start planning probably 90 days in advance,” said Keith Pandeloglou, the executive director of Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. “Where we were 90 days out didn’t feel conducive to a 4,000 person event in a tight space.”

Pandeloglou said the organization also wanted to bring visibility to another Lakewood Ranch event. With the Market at Lakewood Ranch taking place on Halloween and being during the day, Pandeloglou said the market lent itself to be a good fit for this year’s BooFest.

“I think it’s a cool opportunity for our different sponsors to be able to interact with market patrons that might not have normally been at one of our larger events on Main Street,” Pandeloglou said.  

Some market vendors will participate in BooFest as booths where people can trick-or-treat. 

There will be a section of the market dedicated to BooFest that will include a place for families to take commemorative photos and play kids games and inflatable games. 

Cat Depot, a rescue, adoption and education center, will have a kids zone that will include games, temporary tattoos, trick-or-treating stations and balloon artists. 

Pandeloglou hopes this year’s BooFest will have a better turnout than last year’s event, which took place at Premier Sports Campus and was a ticketed event. 

Pandeloglou hopes Lakewood Ranch Community Activities can return to its larger scale event next year and host it at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, Premier Sports Campus or Waterside Place. 

“The goal is that most of our larger events should be able to happen somewhat close to their original form as we get more into 2022,” Pandeloglou said.