Start your Halloween weekend with a Spooktacular time. Peak Adventures presents the third annual Halloween event on Oct. 28-29.

This year’s event, titled Pirate Ghost Ship Spooktacular, will feature a haunted house, carnival games and rock climbing wall.

The ropes course, located at the Challenge Center behind Yosemite Hall, will be transformed into a giant ghost ship. Students and members of the community can venture through a maze or the gory galley of nasty things you can touch. The big attraction for many students will be the climbing elements of the ropes course.

For those not familiar with the ropes course, it consists of many climbing expeditions such as a 60-foot rock climbing wall, a cargo net and a multiline tight rope.

Andrea Baker, marketing specialist for Peak Adventures, said that each person can try one climbing event. “A majority of the elements of the ropes course will be open for the public,” Baker said. She said that the trapeze jump will not be open due to its lengthy set up time.

The entire event will be staffed by volunteers. “All volunteers will be dressed for the haunted house or as a pirate,” Baker said. Besides the Peak Adventures staff, Baker said that students from the Recreation and Leisure Studies Department regularly volunteer.

Recreation and leisure studies instructor, Hien Pham offers extra credit to students in his Perspectives on Leisure class, for volunteering their help. He said that students can receive credit for helping set up or dressing up for the event. “It is a good motivation for students to improve their grade, but I wanted them to step outside of the normal routine of school and do something for others,” Pham said.

Spooktacular is funded by the Jessie Snow Grant. The Jessie Snow Memorial Fund was created after 20-year-old Snow, a Sacramento State student died following an evening of drinking at the Chevy’s restaurant on Howe Avenue, in 2001. Spooktacular was awarded funding because it provides an alternative to drinking for Halloween.

“We provide a healthy alternative to drinking that weekend,” Baker said. She said that Peak Adventures doesn’t make any money on the event. Admission proceeds will go back into the course.

The last two Halloween events drew excellent crowds. Baker said more than 400 people attended last year’s festivities.

Jason Dek, a Sac State alumnus, attended last year. “I took my kids and we had a good time,” he said.

“We were on Channel 31 last year and people saw the broadcast and came all the way from Jackson to check it out,” Baker said.

“The goal of the event is to honor other things besides drinking,” Baker said.

Admission to Spooktacular is $5 for general public and $2 for Sac State students. The event lasts from 7 to 10 p.m. on both nights. For more information, visit www.Peakadventures.org or call 278-6321.

Vincent Gesuele can be reached at [email protected]