NANAIMO — The mid Island area is home to many place where people can get an extra spooky scare this Halloween season.
NanaimoNewsNOW felt it was only appropriate on Friday the 13th to outline some of the many frightening Halloween-themed events going on this time of year.
Huard’s Haunted House
Widely considered on the high-end of the fright scale, Huard’s Haunted House in Cassidy debuts for the season on Friday, Oct. 13 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 1702 Timberlands Rd.
Subsequent haunted houses south of Nanaimo happen on Oct. 14, 19-22 and 25-31 between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Huard’s Haunted House is for people over the age of 12-years-old.
“We do not recommend our haunt for little ones. We take great pride in making adults scream and soil themselves. But we don’t like scaring little ones,” noted a recent post on the Huard’s Haunted House Facebook page.
Admission is a suggested donation of $5 to support local youth charitable causes.
(The Halloween House)The Halloween House
Located at 803 Townsite Rd, The Halloween House has a long tradition of spooking people in central Nanaimo.
First established in the 1990’s and recently resurrected, ‘Bloody Mel’ and her husband ‘Graveyard Keith’ are busy preparing for their one-day graveyard walk on Tuesday, Oct 31 between noon and 10:31 p.m.
Melanie Kirk told NanaimoNewsNOW store-bought skeletons won’t be found at their place, saying their ever-evolving front yard display is built on creativity, with many homemade props and statue-like figures.
“Things like that are unique and different and creepy. It’s just whatever we find and whatever strikes our fancy that particular year.”
Fog will be creeping through the property, augmented by ambient sounds, music and oddly localized lighting strikes that seem to avoid surrounding properties.
“We started really small and then every year we added until it was insane and we had over 5,600 people would come through in 12 hours on Halloween day, ‘Bloody Mel’ said.
Participants are more than welcome to take pictures and videos, she said.
‘Bloody Mel’ added while their creepy offering is suitable for most age demographics, she suggests children come during the day to avoid the risk of not being overly intimidated.
“Be prepared to spend some time and look at the details of things. We really pride ourselves in that and I think it really make the difference in a scene, they’ll find all kinds of surprises if they really look.”
She said unfortunately their yard is not suitable for wheelchairs as it’s too uneven.
The Kirk’s accept donations, which support the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation and Kidney Foundation of Canada, BC & Yukon Branch.
Haunted Halloween Yard Walk
Jeff Callaghan didn’t think his last-minute Halloween-themed yard walk would take off like it did last year.
The head of the Van Isle Clean Team, which organizes and conducts encampment clean-ups around Nanaimo, was casually talking to friends about taking Halloween decorating at his home at 55 Mill St. to a new level.
He and several friends put together a trail maze surrounding his house, which he said is being elevated considerably this year.
“It’s building up fast, I’ve made the yard larger, the walk is longer, a lot more different scare tactics,” Callaghan said of the Halloween Yard Walk.
Zombies and numerous props will greet participants who are invited to venture to the front, back and side yards of the property.
“Actors and characters will come out and scare you, we usually have a chainsaw guy appear and chase people around.”
If that wasn’t enough, Callaghan purchased a real coffin that could contain a heart-pumping surprise.
Candy donated by businesses and hot chocolate will be served to survivors of the Haunted Halloween Yard Walk, which is offered by donation from Oct. 27 to 31 between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Callaghan said proceeds will support his non-profit it clean-up work.
Hauntvilles Horror
A longstanding institution in Nanaimo, Hauntvilles Horror at the VIEX show office barn in Beban Park is perhaps the most well known local haunted house experience.
In partnership with the VIEX for the 2023 season, participants will come across numerous spooky props, monsters, loud noises, flashes and dark/confined spaces.
Several exits are available for those too spooked out to continue the approximate five minute-long experience.
Hauntvilles Horror takes place on Oct. 27, 28 and 31 between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. All funds are being raised this year for the damaged barns at the Beban Park Fairgrounds.
Halloween Spooktacular
Reconciliation Theatre Society hosts fundraising event for local social service provider Risebridge titled Halloween Spooktacular on Saturday Oct. 28 for three showings.
First Nation themed productions ‘One Lane Bridge’ and ‘The Legend of the Salish Sea-Monster’ will be performed at the OV Arts Centre at 25 Victoria Rd.
Additional information, including online ticket purchases can be arranged here.
Scarecrow Spectacular
Milner Gardens & Woodland in Qualicum Beach presents its first annual Scarecrow Spectacular, taking place from October 27-29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (viewing until 3:30 p.m.)
Participants are invited to dress up in costume and wander Scarecrow Lane through the haunted setting near Qualicum Beach’s waterfront.
Halloween Train
Presented by the BC Forest Discovery Centre in Duncan, a popular Halloween institution in the Cowichan Valley has returned.
Designed to provide a bone-chilling, family-friendly experience, the Halloween Train gets rolling between Oct. 20-22 and Oct. 25-30 from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
A train goes every 30 minutes with a limited number of tickets per train.
Additional information, including purchasing tickets online, can be found here.
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Ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com
On Twitter: @reporterholmes
