St. Madeleine Sophie's Center and El Cajon Promenade District Present First Ever HauntFest on Main

SAN DIEGO, CA, October 04, 2012 (Press-News.org) This October, El Cajon residents will get an added treat to their favorite annual fall art festival. St. Madeleine Sophie's Center, a non-denominational adult day-training facility for adults with developmental disabilities, and the Promenade District will host its first annual HauntFest on Main in Downtown El Cajon on Friday, Oct. 26 from 5 to 10 p.m. It will be a night of art, culture, food and Halloween festivities.

HauntFest on Main is the combination of two separate events, the Promenade District's Trunk or Treat and St. Madeline's Alley Cat Art Walk with additions that make it a signature draw for the downtown district. "HauntFest gives us the opportunity to combine our popular kids Halloween show with wine, art, music and to support a great local charity," said Jeff Davies, Executive Director of the Promenade District.

"HauntFest is highly-anticipated and will attract residents and visitors to Downtown El Cajon, which, in turn, will help support local businesses," said Debra Turner-Emerson, Executive Director for St. Madeleine Sophie's Center. "Everyone involved in this event is thrilled to be able to bring this new and exciting event to Downtown El Cajon for the community to celebrate the arts and culture of El Cajon in its centennial year."

HauntFest on Main will feature a classic car show (Trunk or Treat for the kids), shopping, restaurant offerings, food trucks, wine and beer tastings, and bands including "80z All Stars," Eve Selis and several other local bands in various locations throughout Downtown El Cajon. This family- and kid-friendly event will have a haunted house, laser tag, a costume contest and other activities.

In addition to the myriad of activities taking place during "HauntFest," guests will be able to view local artists' original works at the Bountiful Art: A Juried Exhibition. The submissions will be judged by Amy Galpin, Project Curator for American Art at the San Diego Museum of Art.

"This event provides a unique combination of community partnerships, local business appreciation, non-profit support and art excellence," said Turner-Emerson. "If residents and visitors enjoyed 'Alley Cat Art Fest' and 'Trunk or Treat' in years past, they will certainly have an even better time at 'HauntFest.'"

Proceeds from this year's event will support Sophie's Art Gallery (a gallery for people with developmental disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy), and the funds will help continue the mural artwork and gallery openings in the Downtown Art District of El Cajon.

The event is free to attend with tickets for wine, beer and food tasting in Arts Alley available for $20 in advance or $25 at the door. For vendor and ticket information, please visit http://hauntfestonmain.com/ or call the "HauntFest" event coordinator at 619.442.5129, ext. 115.

About St. Madeleine Sophie's Center

St. Madeleine Sophie's Center (SMSC) is a non-denominational program helping nearly 400 people with developmental disabilities, their families and communities, discover, explore, and nurture their full potential. Located in El Cajon, California, 20 miles east of Downtown San Diego, the organization provides service to the greater San Diego communities.

SMSC offers progressive programs and services with a teacher-to-student ratio ranging from 1:3 to 1:8, including Work Activity and Supported Employment; Behavior Modification; Computer Lab; Organic Garden & Worm Farm; Culinary Arts; Aquatics; Aerobics, Fitness, Yoga and Dance; Sophie's Gallery Art Program (the first program of its kind in the region that has three sites: SMSC's main campus; Downtown El Cajon; and NTC Point Loma); Music Therapy; Reading; Speech Therapy/Sign Language; and a Senior Program for students age 50+ (the first program of its kind in the region). SMSC also operates its own fleet of 30 para-transit vans and buses to and from SMSC each day, to work sites and on field trips.

For more information on St. Madeleine Sophie's Center, visit http://www.stmsc.org.