Children and adults from around the state will gather in Beckley, West Virginia Friday at the Tamarack, the Best of West Virginia to show off their costumes in hopes for a prize.

The costume contest is one activity featured during the Tamarack’s month long Spooktacular Festivity. Other activities for the Halloween weekend include artist demonstrations, a pumpkin carving award ceremony and a Halloween movie screening.

The Tamarack, which opened in 1996, is the nation’s first center for a state’s handcrafts. The building, known for its star architectural design, serves as a tourist attraction as well as a center for local arts.

The Tamarack features local art during the Spooktackular Festivity. Blacksmith, Ronnie Hamrick and Allen Hamrick, Native American flutist, will share their talents this Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The costume contest Friday is free and open to the public. The judging will begin at 6 p.m., handing out 1st through 4th prizes up to $500.

Saturday at 6:30 p.m., participants of the pumpkin carving contest will attend an award ceremony that will grant over $2,500 in prizes. The contest features different age groups and categories including funniest, scariest, most creative, best traditional, employee pumpkin and business/non-profit painted pumpkin.

Halloween night, the venue will screen “Nosferatu”, a German horror film based loosely on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. The event starts at 7 p.m. and is free to the public.

Beckley, West Virginia is located Southeast of Huntington on I-64. All events at the Tamarack are free and open to the public.

Ashley Sodosky can be contacted at [email protected].