STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Dozens of glowing Jack O’Lanterns and s’mores that will set your tastebuds on fire are in store for those who dare to take part in Blazing Pumpkins.

The annual Halloween event—a fundraiser for Swiftsure Ranch—will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, at the ranch south of Bellevue on 114 Calypso Lane (look for the tall American flag at the entryway).

There’ll be pumpkin bowling, face painting and a hay maze.  And all comers can test their skills at ring toss, a cake walk and balloon darts.

Red Light Challenge will provide live music and there will be food for purchase from the Tater Trailer, Porked Out and La Parilla. And, if you keep an eye on things that go bump in the night, you might even catch a glimpse of the Headless Horsemen.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for those ages 6 to 12 at the door. It’s free for those under 5.

SWIFTSURE GETS A NEW RANCH MANAGER

Travis Langley recently joined Swiftsure as the new ranch manager. Langley first became acquainted with Swiftsure as a client, participating in the therapeutic horse-riding program through the Boise Department of Veteran Affairs.

Langley grew up on a small ranch in Paul, Idaho, where he raised Thoroughbred and Percheron Draft horses alongside his mother. He was a bronc rider during high school.

After high school he spent 23 years as a M1 Abrams Tank Crewman in the U.S. Army, serving on numerous combat deployments to Iraq and other countries. He retired from the Army in August 2022.