Scare on the Square will make the courthouse area a crossroads for Halloween fun, including a hayride, costume contests for all ages, trunk-or-treating, a haunted house and the annual pumpkin patch interactive activities, from 4:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. Saturday.

Zaxby’s is the lead sponsor for the event. But there are several other sponsors, and the participation of Georgia Southern University student volunteers helps make the event a success, according to a press release from the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority.

Oral surgeon Dr. Troy Lawhorn sponsors the pumpkin patch on the courthouse lawn. Dr. Brent Wolfe, who teaches recreation and tourism management in the GSU School of Human Ecology, and his students provide the games and activities and have doubled the number of these, the DSDA said.

GSU students also will staff booths with candy and prizes.

“Being a part of Scare on the Square really helps students understand how to lead and develop a program as well as the importance of providing service to the community they are a part of,” Wolfe said. “This experience truly embraces and fosters the town-gown relationship, and we are very privileged to be a part of it.”

Entire families can take part in the costume contest at 4:30 p.m., and decorated trunk-or-treating vehicles will be positioned along East Main Street. The annual “Thriller” street dance parade is a crowd favorite, after practices held each Thursday this month at 7 p.m. in the Whitaker Black Box Theater.

Also Saturday afternoon on East Main, the Statesboro Youth Chorale will perform a Halloween concert at 3 p.m. at the Averitt Center for the Arts. Chyann Rose, who is nominated for Georgia Country Teen Artist of the year for the second year in a row, also will be performing at Eagle Creek Brewery during the event.

For more information, contact the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority at (912) 764-7227 or mainstreet@statesborodowntown.com.