The Russell Springs Downtown Revitalization Committee, a group of more than 20 local volunteers, is continuing with their goal of bringing businesses and people back to Main Street. The group, which is headed by President Kenvie Reese, is now focusing on their second annual Fall Festival.

This year's fall festival director is local entertainer Aron Houdini, who says this year's festival should be a memorable one to all who take part due to the big entertainment choices.

The two-day event gets underway on Friday, Oct. 29 and finishes on Saturday, Oct. 30 with the Russell Springs Haunted House at the old police department to open on Oct. 1 and run the entire month. A group from hauntedhouse.com will also come to vote on the house as it has been entered in their yearly contest for the popular website.

Houdini, who has put in many hours already decorating the haunted house, said he envisions something bigger for the haunted house.

"I'm looking at this not for this year or next year I'm looking at it 10 years from now, like Hustonville where they cleared $120,000 last year and they are twice as small as us," he said. "My goal is to turn the lights on in order to get people out, it will be brutal."

A toned-down children's haunted house will also be open in October in the basement of the Masonic Lodge. More information on that endeavor will also be released in the coming weeks but the dates it will likely be opened Thursday through Saturday nights. Half of what is made from the children's haunted house will then be given to the Masons.

While the summer months are not over yet, the committee is rallying to try and make this event one for both children and adults.

This year's festival will feature many different activities from food and craft vendors to live music, games, costume contests and the ever-popular Trunk-or-Treat event that will take place on the evening of the final day.

Houdini said one main attraction would be the SyFy Ghost Hunters, who will be performing a live show at the Star Theater on Main Street on Oct. 1 to kick off the haunted house and will host a real ghost hunt later that evening.

The goal of the committee is to bring more and more people out every year to Main St. and they are asking for the community's support so they can continue providing events such as the upcoming fall festival, the spring festival and the annual Christmas parade.

Each year, the committee logs many long hours planning, developing and overseeing such events.

The committee, a non-profit organization, is again offering a festival gold sponsorship of $500 to businesses that will have the business name on the large banner hanging across Main St. and on all radio and newspaper advertisements and printed materials as well as announced throughout the festival at the SyFy Ghost Hunters performance and on posters at the haunted house. The tickets for the ghost hunt are limited and as a gold sponsor, businesses will have first choice at the actual $20 ghost hunt tickets, which is separate from the Ghost Hunters Star Theater performance.

A gold sponsorship also enables you to attend a special meet and greet dinner with the SyFy team at 5 p.m. on October 1.

A silver sponsorship of $200 and above will place your businesses' name in smaller print on all newspaper and printed material as well as announced throughout the festival and on posters inside the haunted house. All other donations of $50 and above will be posted on their website, on posters on Main St. during the festival and on posters in the haunted house.

The next meeting of the Russell Springs Downtown Revitalization Committee will be Monday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. at city hall. Anyone wanting to help out the committee or volunteer to help with the fall festival or haunted house is welcome to attend.