Warming up to the season

Austin is about to officially kick off the spookiest season of the year.

The 31st annual Jay C. Nature Center Halloween Warm-Up returns Friday and Saturday, with the first hike at 6:50 p.m. and the last starting at 9:10 p.m. both days.

“It’s a great event, and it’s been well attended for 31 years,” Executive Director Larry Dolphin said. “It’s something you can do with your family.”

Dolphin, who will portray a barred owl this year during the warm-up, said there’s something about the fun and fear of being in the forest at night that keeps people coming back each year. He added they’re not looking to scare anyone and it’s a family-friendly event put on with help from Matchbox Children’s Theatre. The event, which costs $6, incorporates skits and humor. It’s an event Dolphin says will be here for years to come.

“Halloween Warm-Up is not going to go away,” he said. “It’s going to be here beyond my time.”

Along with the warm-up, there’s plenty of other things going on at the nature center.

Also on Saturday, Chris Anderson will host his Walking Meditation Class from 9 to 11 a.m. The class, held rain or shine, will start at the Ruby Rupner Auditorium and continue on the trails, helping people appreciate the stillness and peace found in nature.

Then next week, wildlife photographer John Duren will host a free program called “Prairies and Potholes: Minnesota’s Forgotten Lands” at 7 p.m. Monday. Dolphin described it as an important program to educate people about Minnesota’s prairieland. The Friends of the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is sponsoring the program.