Upcoming Trick or Treating, Fun Events and More!

October 19, 5:30 p.m.

Fall Festival 

@Ashland First United 

Methodist Church

October 20, 6 to 8 p.m. 

Fairview Independent Trunk or Treat

October 22, 5 to 7 p.m.

Gateway Church Trunk or Treat

444 Blackburn Avenue, Ashland

Join us for our annual trunk or treat! 

Free event! We hope to see you there!

Saturday, October 22 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Halloween Craft Fair, 13450 State Route 180

   Halloween craft fair is being held at the El Hasa Shrine Temple Raffle for $500! and getaway to Great Wolf Lodge. 

   Bring your children out to Trick or Treat with over 90 vendors dressed up and ready to hand out candy. The first 50 children will get their bags to fill up; parents will receive a tote bag to shop.   Come out and support the Shriners.  We will have Door prizes and raffles available at the door. 100% of the raffles will be donated to the Shriners. Making a difference one craft fair at a time!

Saturday, October 22, 2-7:30 p.m.

Fall Festival at Heritage Church

Inflatables, hay rides, activities and lots of fun for all! The Jason Lovins Band will play at 6 p.m. Admission is free and concessions will be available.

Tuesday, October 25, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Ashland YMCA Drive thru Trick or Treat

Wednesday, October 26, 6 p.m. 

Trunk or Treat Cook-Off, Raceland Christian 

Church, 210 Caroline Road

Join us Wednesday, October 26th for a Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook-off. Come with your best recipe for the chance to win a prize in our Chili Cook-off and bring plenty of candy and a decorated car and join in on the Trunk or Treat. Costumes are optional but highly encouraged!

October 26, 6 p.m.

Summit Church of Nazarene  Spooks

and Sweets, 401 State Route 716

Come join us for our annual SNC Spooks + Sweets. This is an indoor trick-or-treat experience.

October 27, 6 to 8 p.m.

Safe Trick or Treat at Camp Landing

Thursday, October 27, 5 p.m.

Rush Cartel Pick or Treat, Boyd Convention 

Center, 15605 St Rt 180, Ashland

$25 - Get your tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/352093028727

Come enjoy a fun evening with the family. We’ll have inflatables for the kids, trunk or treat, and Porky’s Meat Wagon serving their award-winning BBQ. Dress your SxS up and we’ll let the kids judge for the top 3 trophies that will be awarded. Then the evening will kick off with some live music by Moonlight Mile, Don Rigsby, and your headliner Ralph Stanley II!!

October 27, 6 to 7:30 p.m. 

Candy Crawl at Ashland Town Center

Join us as we bring Candy Crawl back inside this year! The costume contest will begin at 5:30 p.m. in front of Five Below & The Pumpkin Patch will be located in front of TJ Maxx. Come out with the entire family and enjoy candy, games, crafts and much more. Begin your candy crawl at 6 p.m. as stores & vendors begin handing out their treats. 

October 28, 6 p.m.

Trick or Treat at the Camayo Arcade

Come trick or treat with us & all the businesses in the Camayo Arcade! Enjoy this fun-filled event in your favorite Halloween costume!

October 29, 4 to 8 p.m.

Halloween Town in Downtown Russell

4 p.m. Downtown Deals, 5 p.m. Monster March, 6 to 8 p.m. Trick or Treat & the Spooktacular Tunnel

October 29, 12 to 2 p.m.

Halloween Candy Crane Drop, Ritter Park Historic District 

   Celebrate Halloween by bringing your family to Ritter Park on Saturday, October 29 for GHPRD’s Halloween Candy Crane Drop, with assistance from Mayo Tree Company, we will be dumping hundreds of pounds of candy from the sky for your little ones to collect. 

   In addition to the candy drop, “touch a truck”, inflatables, face painting, and more fun activities will accompany the event. While entry for the candy drop is free, other activities may incur extra costs. 

Event Schedule: Candy Drop Ages 5 & Under 12 p.m., Candy Drop Ages 6-12 12:30 p.m., All-Inclusive Candy Drop 1 p.m. The event will conclude at 2 p.m.

October 30, 5 to 6 p.m.

Trunk or Treat at Rose Hill Christian Church, 1001 Winslow Road

October 30, 6 p.m.

Fall Festival at Legacy Ashland

October 31, 5 p.m. 

Treats Around the Track, 2513 Reed Street Flatwoods KY

October 31, 6 to 8:00 p.m. 

Flatwoods Trick or Treat

October 31, 6 to 8:00 p.m. 

The City of Greenup Trick or Treat (free)

October 31, 6 to 7:30 p.m. 

Drive Through Trick or Treat at Ashland Central Park 

Cars may enter from 22nd Street. Volunteers will be set up to pass out treats to kids as the vehicles drive by.

October 31, 6 to 7:30 p.m. 

Ashland Neighborhood Door to Door Trick or Treat 

If their porch light is on, they are participating in Trick or Treat give. 

October 31, 6 p.m. 

Trunk or Treat, New Beginnings Church of God, Kenova WV

Join us during the C-K trick-or-treating hours for Truck of Treat right here in our parking lot. We’ll have some fun while giving out tons of candy. 

Ties that Bind

A Walk Through the Catlettsburg Historical Cemetery

Deidra Bowling-Meade

Ashland Beacon

Writer William Wordsworth stated, “Life is divided into three terms-that which was, which is, and which will be.  Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present, to live better in the future.”  One of the best ways to gain a sense of our past and learn from the present is to visit a local cemetery.  Catlettsburg Historical Cemetery will be offering a walk through the historic cemetery on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 4:00 pm.  The cemetery is located at 8252 Cannonsburg Rd, Catlettsburg, KY.  Lisa Ramey Epling from Boyd County will be conducting the walk, which is guaranteed to be hauntingly entertaining for all!

Catlettsburg is Epling’s hometown, and she is extremely passionate about this project. Epling declares, “I was raised in Paddle Creek. I enjoy history and everybody’s story is a piece of history. Cemeteries are a good way to learn about a town or local area. The founding members are usually buried there, as well as the community minded, and bigger cemeteries usually have one or two famous folk. I decided to do this because the Catlettsburg Cemetery was in trouble. A new board came about in 2020, and I was invited to join the next year. It’s doing much better now. I suggested the walk to help draw attention to the cemetery because it is historic and has a number of notable figures. In doing research, I found out things about Catlettsburg and things about the people that are buried there that are noteworthy.  Plus, there’s all the symbolism of the headstone. Sometimes there’s always the question of why they are buried here.  People should take part to learn more about the history of their town and what makes it special.”

            Epling knows how important the research process is in telling accurate history. Epling was a former librarian at the Catlettsburg branch.  She uses the genealogy room at the Boyd County Public Library and findagrave.com as two main sources when studying the cemetery. Through the walking tour of Catlettsburg Cemetery, participants will learn about Catlettsburg’s famous author, one of the greatest football coaches in the area, members of the Hatfield and McCoy feud, and a mysterious murder. You never know what might spark your interest as you tour. 

Local Catlettsburg resident, Jacob Meade, recalls many walks he has taken through Catlettsburg Cemetery when he visited his grandfather’s grave.  Meade commented, “There are so many old tombstones there, and I often wonder what the story is behind them.  I remember one that actually says, ‘I told you I was sick.’ It would be interesting to find out the story of that.”  Meade continued, “I’m glad that Catlettsburg Cemetery is having walking tours.  You hear about other local cemeteries doing that, such as Ashland and Ironton.  There is a lot of untold history in Catlettsburg.  It’s one of the oldest cemeteries around here.” 

            Catlettsburg Historical Cemetery was founded in 1882 and made a historical landmark on April 13, 2018.  Its historical significance is a time capsule waiting to be opened and explored.  We can live by Wordsworth’s words and learn from the past in order to profit the present and live in the future.  Please make plans to join the historic journey on October 22nd and take a walk into the past.  The Ties that Bind walk is free of charge; however, donations to help the cemetery are encouraged.   To contact the Catlettsburg Historical Cemetery, please call the office at 606.739.8530 or by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Cancer, Peace & Joy–

Amy Thomas Lynch’s It’s Over Story

Deidra Bowling-Meade

The Ashland Beacon

“I've got peace, love and joy like a river

I've got peace, love and joy like a river

I've got peace, love and joy like a river in my soul!”

Young children often sing this chorus at church; however, these words ring true for what we can still experience as adults who have a relationship with Christ.  Boyd County native, Amy Thomas Lynch, was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in the summer of 2021.  John Hopkins Medicine claims this is the most common form of breast cancer, accounting for 80% of all breast cancer diagnoses. This cancer happens when abnormal cells growing in the lining of the milk ducts change and invade breast tissue beyond the walls of the duct. Once that happens, the cancer cells can spread. They can break into the lymph nodes or bloodstream, where they can travel to other organs and areas in the body.

Despite this diagnosis, Lynch declared, “2021, taught me to count the joy come every battle. James 1:2” The peace, love and joy running through Lynch’s soul is evident in her daily walk and the story she shares with everyone she meets.  Lynch stated, “Cancer, peace and joy are not usually a combination of words you hear together. Throughout my journey with cancer and with GOD, I experienced both peace and joy.  I can tell you that was the closest to God I have ever been in my life. He carried me and provided me with comfort and healing.” 

Lynch described how her diagnosis came about:

“I found a lump during a self-check-in 2020.  I followed through with a mammogram and was told to come back in six months.  I did not educate myself properly, and I thought they were just watching a cyst.  I canceled my follow-up mammogram several times due to a busy mom schedule...not realizing things could change so fast.  In the summer of 2021, I made an appointment for all the things (dentist, mammogram, etc.).  On June 9, 2021, I returned for my follow-up mammogram.  What appeared to be a cyst over a year ago had changed drastically.  My biopsy resulted in a diagnosis of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. I met with a team of doctors and was given the choice to have a lumpectomy with radiation or a bilateral mastectomy. I have a family history on my paternal side, usually, maternal side history is the most concern. My genetics testing showed I am BRCA1 and BRCA2 negative. The BRCA gene test is a genetic blood test that determines if you have mutations in your DNA that increase the risk of breast cancer. That is why I was given the lumpectomy choice. I prayed about the choice of treatment to remove cancer and felt (for me) removing all the breast tissue in my body was the best decision.  The thought of finding another lump down the road and going through the waiting process again was just more than I could handle. That doesn't mean that's the best decision for all; it was best for me.”

Lynch is a teacher at Poage Elementary for Ashland Independent Schools.  Lynch had her first surgery on September 23, 2021 and wasn’t able to return to work until January of 2022.  After the initial surgery, Lynch had a small complication from the mastectomies/reconstruction that caused her pain, and she couldn’t raise her right arm all the way.  On December 21, 2021, Lynch had her final surgery and encountered a moment she will never forget.  Lynch shared the moment, “I woke up to my precious momma sitting on the side of my bed.  She was petting my arms and face over and over while I was trying to wake up.  Oh goodness!  It felt so real, and I wanted it to last forever…oh her beautiful smile.  She’s here.  I raised my arms to reach for her.  She keeps saying ‘It’s over!’ Goodness, I can still picture her perfectly in my mind on that hospital bed.” Lynch lost her mother in a tragic car accident on August 29, 2003; however, God granted Amy a special moment with her mother when she was waking up from anesthesia from her last surgery.  That special moment Lynch shared with her mother came to fruition on January 12, 2022 as Lynch was dressed in her scratchy pink cape awaiting her results from the surgeon.  Lynch testified, “I took a moment to pray over every warrior that will wear this pink cape and fight this terrible disease.  It’s no coincidence that at this very appointment, I once again got to hear the words, ‘It’s over from my surgeon.  He left the room, and I looked up, and winked at my momma.”  

            Lynch had moments of fear and emotion; the cancer journey wasn’t pain-free or easy.  Lynch noted, “Waiting for a plan was the most difficult part for my family. There were some sleepless nights full of prayer and tears.  After I had a plan, I experienced peace and joy that I had never felt before. I give God all the glory for the peace, joy, and healing He allowed me to experience.” Lynch’s cancer battle has been a testimony to others facing cancer.  Friend and colleague, Lori Beth Mays, reached out to Lynch after receiving some bad mammogram results. Mays expressed her gratitude for Lynch, “It’s amazing how God puts people in our lives to help us get through the tough days.  I have no doubt God made sure Amy Lynch and I became friends over the past few years so that she could play such a role in helping me find joy while battling cancer.  Watching her face cancer last year was so inspiring.  To know that she was going through such a scary time, but was still praising Jesus, really caught my attention.” Lynch spoke of Mays adding, “My heart just absolutely broke for her...as it was just days from the exact anniversary of finding out about my diagnosis the prior year. I decided if I had to go through this, I would use my experience to help others.  Awareness would become my purpose.  Comforting others would become my purpose.  Praying fervently for others would be my purpose.”

            For those who are hesitant on having a mammogram or going through breast cancer right now, Lynch shared this advice, “Early detection is the best prevention. Take the time to take care of yourself. Take one day at a time and allow yourself grace.  There will be good days and tough days.  It's okay to feel all the feels on both of those types of days.” Remember to keep that joy and peace in your soul.