Halloween is all about the costumes and the kids and the candy coming together in a mish-mash of “Trick or Treats” and scouring your baskets for the best sugar-laden treats you can find. It just wouldn’t be Halloween without it.

In Anderson, it wouldn’t be the Halloween season without the annual Fall Literacy Festival taking place this Saturday at the Civic Center of Anderson.

From 2 to 5 p.m., the Anderson County Library, United Way of Anderson and the Anderson Independent-Mail will once again team up to put on a Halloween event for the whole family. But rather than focus only on candy and costumes, this event focuses on the importance of literacy.

“The first thing the children always want to do is make sure they have picked out their free book,” said Kathy Gibson, one of the coordinators of the Fall Literacy Festival. “Then it is on to playing games for candy or small prizes, listening to storytellers, watching puppet shows or playing bingo.”

This is the 17th annual Literacy Fall Festival. In that time, the event has grown by leaps and bounds. Gibson estimates that more than 3,000 children and adults will come through the Civic Center for a safe place to have Halloween fun. Hundreds of pounds of candy and prizes will be on hand along with great games and a variety of live entertainment for young and old.

This year, the Junior League will be putting together the storytelling aspect of the evening while Lisa Robinson heads up the puppet shows. In addition, there is bingo for the children and parents and more.

It’s an especially poignant time to have this event, Gibson said, as the annual Spooktacular event at AnMed Health will not take place.

“Spooktacular will not be held this year and families will want a safe place to bring their children for a Halloween-type event where they are able to dress in costume,” Gibson said.

Admission, as always, is free. Gibson said many families are outside the doors of the Civic Center an hour before the doors open at 2 p.m. For more information or to be a volunteer for this year’s event, call 864.226.3438.