The pandemic has changed our lives in many ways this fall, but it can’t keep us from enjoying Bear Scare! As with school itself, though, it’s just going to look, well … a little different. 🙂

For those families new to Madrona, Bear Scare is the biggest event of the year at Madrona, when our school is transformed into the biggest party you’ll ever see, with over 1,000 attendees, hundreds of volunteers, games, costumes, music, candy crafts, pizza, a cupcake walk, a pumpkin-carving contest, a haunted house and more. It brings our entire community together for a fun night that kids and families alike look forward to all year.

We may not be able to gather like we have in the past, but we can still enjoy some Bear Scare fun — from the safety of our cars!

This year’s Bear Scare Parade will take place Friday, Oct. 30, from 6-8 p.m. at Madrona. Kids will enjoy decorations, games and candy (with all appropriate COVID precautions taken), and can even participate in the Pumpkin-Carving Contest (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BHEpM3OkN8n-Jp08Bf5Yc-GasRVbvCmK/view?usp=sharing) and — for the first time ever — a Costume Contest (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_WV94rzwyLAPLm0GF282I58as0lfbU7G/view?usp=sharing)!

Best of all, there’s no cost of admission, and we’re not even asking for volunteers! All we ask is that you bring your family and your Bear Scare spirit. We’re also going to be collecting canned food for the Edmonds Food Bank as part of Madrona ASB’s annual Scare Hunger campaign, so bring something to donate and help those in need during this difficult time.

In order to reduce traffic, we are asking families to use this link (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4dadac2eabfa7-bear4) to sign up for a time to attend Bear Scare. Then, click the links above to find out more about the Pumpkin-Carving and Costume Contests, and submit your entries online before the deadline. Voting will begin next week, and the winning pumpkins and costumes will be part of the Bear Scare fun!