The most fun you can have on Logan Martin Lake all year
Story by Roxann Edsall
Submitted Photos
It’s grown faster than kudzu on an abandoned hillside, but this growth has been far more welcome. Boo Bash on Logan Martin, the annual dockside trick-or-treating event, has exploded in popularity since its inception in 2022.
From 140 little goblins and their adults the first year to last year’s impressive 2,300 trick-or-treaters, it is clear the event is one people don’t want to miss. Mark your calendars now for Oct. 3from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
There have been a few changes since the first year, and still more are in store for next month’s event. There will be trophies this year for first, second and third place in the pier decorating contest and for the costume contest.
Each pier will be assigned a number at registration to display on their pier or dock so that judges will be able to record their evaluations. “Angie Henson, who is the owner of Bikini Buddies is donating the trophies, said organizer Kelli Lasseter. “I’ve seen her concepts, and they’re really cool.”
The boat decorating contest from last year will be back again by popular demand. Once again, boats will need to register for that competition. Judging will be held at Lakeside Park.
This year, a costume contest will be held following Boo Bash at an after party at Tiki Hut, which will host a live band. Tiki Hut, which normally closes for the season after Labor Day, will be decorated for the event with a 28-foot pumpkin perfect for photo ops. “We get a lot of families coming in after Boo Bash,” said Michael Emerick, Tiki Hut manager. “Many of the kids have come out of their costumes by then and go swimming or to the play area.”
In their third year as title sponsor for the event, Tiki Hut helps to promote the event and its mission to help fund lake safety measures through Logan Martin Lake Protection Association (LMLPA). “It’s a good way to give back to the lake,” adds Emerick. “It gets families together to do something different on the lake and makes the lake a safer place with the LMLPA donation.”
Through sponsorships, Lasseter, co-organizer Sonya Hubbard and their “Boo Crew” are able to make significant contributions to LMLPA, which the organization uses to purchase lighted buoys to place in shallow or hazardous spots in the lake. Last year, Boo Bash presented LMLPA a check for $12,000 for their lighted buoy program.
The partnership with LMLPA began in 2024 after Lasseter met Blair Goodgame. “Blair was just phenomenal in helping us to come up with a solid marketing plan and how to partner with the city.” Goodgame connected Lasseter and Hubbard to Jeff Thompson, Pell City’s Community Engagement and Special Projects manager.
From that meeting came the addition of the Boo Slough at Lakeside Park, enabling those who either don’t want to get on the water or do not have access to a boat the chance to participate in Boo Bash. “Pell City really puts their resources into supporting Boo Bash and LMLPA,” said Lasseter.
The idea that developed into Boo Bash began five years ago when Lasseter and Hubbard were reminiscing about fun times they’d had years ago at a large neighborhood Halloween event in Leeds. They wondered if such a thing might work on the lake. “We were like, I wonder if people would want to do that by boat and maybe decorate their piers,” explained Lasseter.
After floating the idea on Facebook and getting a positive response, they got to work planning. Boo Bash was an instant hit. “I’ve heard of people bringing groups out on their boats to participate,” said Lasseter. “I’ve been told stories of families coming in from out of state for this and to spend the weekend with their family. There are some places that have community piers and potlucks.”
Community is why the Boo Crew works so hard to put on Boo Bash and it’s the very reason it works. “I think people up here enjoy a fun time on the water,” Lasseter adds. “They enjoy being around each other. I think we’re all about community. It’s part of the culture of Logan Martin Lake.”
It takes many in the community to make Boo Bash happen. Lasseter credits the many pier hosts, sponsors, and volunteers who make it work. Volunteers, she emphasized, are the only way they were able to make it past year two. “Without them, we would have had to stop,” she admits. “We have so much gratitude for everyone who is providing their resources out of pocket to bring this event to the community.”
“And when you hear a child say something like ‘this is the absolute best day of my life,” that’s not because of Kelli Lasseter or Sonya Hubbard or LMLPA or the city,” says Lasseter. “That’s because of our pier hosts creating such a memorable event.”
Pier hosts decorate their boathouses or docks in a Halloween theme and hand out treats to children on visiting boats. Often there are treats for boat dogs and for adults onboard. Getting the treats onto the boat takes a particular skill set or a specially designed “conveyance device” like a long-handled pool net.
There were 80 pier hosts for last year, down slightly from the year before. Two volunteers are specifically working on increasing the number of pier hosts, particularly in the upper end of the lake closer to Riverside and Lincoln. In response to feedback from pier hosts, the event time has been condensed to three hours, rather than four.
As with any event on the water, safety is a huge concern. Organizers have requested additional presence from ALEA to patrol the waters during the event. “Safety is absolutely number one,” stresses Lasseter. “If something happened connected to this event, there’d be no more Boo Bash and, you know, it would be devastating.”
The Boo Crew is excited to put the final touches on Boo Bash 2026. As it grows, Lasseter stresses that they want to maintain the integrity and spirit of the event – creating a joyous event for children, families and pets. It’s a chance to have fun with lake community and to enjoy a “last hurrah” for the lake season.
