Area briefs

PINE RIVER -- The Pine River Public Library and Cricket Crafts will present a Haunted Forest and Enchanted Woods Halloween fund-raiser 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday and 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Haunted Forest will be for children 7 and older. All children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Tickets will be available at the library or at the gate. Admission is free for ages 6 and under, $2 for children 7 to 12 and $3 for those 13 and older.

The Enchanted Woods will provide a safe and non-frightening environment where characters will hand out FDA approved candy. Refreshments will be served, and remote parking and a hay ride shuttle will be provided by WJ Auto.

The hay ride will be 2.5 miles east of Pine River on State Highway 84. Spiders will mark the way.

All proceeds will go to the Pine River Public Library. For more information call Cricket Craft at (218) 587-3996 or the Pine River library at (218) 587-4639.

Mission Fire Department to host haunted hay ride

MISSION TOWNSHIP -- The Mission Fire Department will celebrate its first Haunted Hay Ride at 5:30 p.m. for the little goblins and 7:30 p.m. for the bigger goblins Saturday.

The hay ride is free for children 11 and younger, and $2 for children 12 and older.

To get to the hay ride from Brainerd, go north to Merrifield on County Road 3 and continue one mile past Merrifield. Take a right at the Y-Store and drive six to seven miles north to Mission Park Drive. Take a right at Mission Park Drive and continue for one mile.

From Crosslake, go seven miles south on County Road 3 and take a left on Mission Park Dive. From there, go one mile down Mission Park Drive to the right.

Entries being taken for Aitkin's annual fish house parade

AITKIN -- Aitkin's World-Famous Fish House Parade will be 1 p.m. Nov. 26 in downtown Aitkin.

Floats will be judged in five categories: Excitingly Creative; Incredibly Great Fish House; Outlandishly Humorous; Absolutely Marvelous; and Overwhelmingly Noisy.

There will be two youth categories: ages infant through junior high; and senior high age.

Fill out fish house parade entry forms by Nov. 18 and send them to: Aitkin's Fish House Parade, P.O. Box 127, Aitkin, MN 56431; or deliver them to the Aitkin Area Chamber of Commerce, 24 Third St. N.W., Aitkin.

Aitkin library to host open house Nov. 12

AITKIN -- The Aitkin library will celebrate 10 years in its current location during an open house 2 to 5 p.m. Nov. 12.

The Friends of the Library will serve cake and coffee.

At 7 p.m. Nov. 12, the library will present Warren Nelson, who will talk about birds, wildlife and wild flowers and show slides of his award-winning photographs.

There will be refreshments and a door prize.