This Halloween, St. John’s Lutheran Church is bringing together for much of what children want in a holiday: candy, costumes and games galore.

St. John’s will hold its 12th annual Hallelujah Harvest Festival from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31. Families are encouraged to attend for family-friendly games, prizes and treats. A light dinner will also be served from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. during the festival, along with other treats.

All games at the festival will be based on Bible stories and cater especially well to children ages 3 through 12.

One of the most popular games is called “Belly of the Whale,” and consists of small, dark tunnels to crawl through. Another game that is a big hit consists of a large walk-through maze that children can enter on one side and find their way through to the other.

While some children make the festival a quick stop before they go out trick-or-treating, others like to stay the whole time. In light of the holiday, costumes are welcome, though organizers ask guests to avoid wearing anything scary.

The festival is indoors to avoid possible bad weather.

While there is no admission charge to attend the festival, guests should plan on bringing a non-perishable food item, which they can trade in for 10 game tickets. Those who like additional tickets can purchase them for 10 cents each. St. John’s will donate the food items collected to the Salvation Army food shelf.

The festival is open to the public, and parental supervision is recommended for young children. St. John’s is located at 1200 13th Ave. NW in Austin. Contact Troy at 507-433-2642 with questions.