聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Surrounded by darkness, you know something is there, waiting, watching. Your heart races as your eyes adjust to the lack of light. It鈥檚 a haunted house and you鈥檙e on high alert, you know something will eventually pop out and you鈥檒l shriek in terror. But, despite all of this you know it鈥檚 just a fun frightening way to spend an evening in October.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 With Hallowe鈥檈n just around the corner, the Heward Haunted Rink has been set up to provide two nights and a day of entertainment to the surrounding area. Open Friday, Oct. 23, Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25, it鈥檚 a great way to get in the Hallowe鈥檈n spirit.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e鈥檙e set up in the curling rink this year,鈥� Chantelle Duxbury, President of the Heward Rec Board, explained. 鈥淲e started from scratch. We used to set up in the other side and have to tear everything down quickly in order to get ice in for skating. Last year we tinned the roof of the curling rink and Trevor Dayman 鈥� TD Electric 鈥� out of Arcola came and put up a new panel box and he put electricity through the whole side because this side just had power at the front.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Setting up this year are approximately 10 volunteers and although Duxbury, who is a Hallowe鈥檈n aficionado, has planned 11 of the14 spooky haunted rooms being set up by the volunteers, three rooms are a mystery even to her right now.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淰ivid Crystal from in town has one room that they鈥檙e setting up, Taurean Brigden with Herr Kutz Salon is doing one, and Jason Johnston has asked to do one,鈥� Duxbury explained.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e have 15 confirmed scarers for Friday and Saturday nights. Our children, who are in here helping set up all the time, asked to be scarers this year, so we鈥檙e letting them help on the Sunday. This will be the first year we let them scare and the Sunday isn鈥檛 as scary.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Volunteers, who have to help set up in order to help scare, are from Heward, Stoughton, and Arcola this year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淧eople come in and help set up and they get hooked, they want to come scare as well,鈥� Duxbury said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 After the Heward Haunted Rink saw 616 people last year in 12 hours, they decided to expand their hours to help people find the time to enjoy the frights at the rink.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This year, on Friday and Saturday, the haunted rink will be delivering its most frightening spooks which will be open from 7 p.m. to midnight, while the Sunday afternoon between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. will be less scary, but still a lot of fun.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e will have a full kitchen/concession and we have a liquor licence for the night, so minors are welcome but they have to be accompanied by an adult and the Friday and Saturday nights are at the parents鈥� discretion because they are scarier,鈥� Duxbury said. 鈥淭he guided tour on the Sunday is less scary.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 All minors must be accompanied by an adult.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 $10 a head, but bodies are free,鈥� Duxbury laughed. So, for people 13-years-old and older the cost of admission is $10, while for those 12-years-old and younger the cost is $5.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This year the Heward Rec Board is being assisted in facilitating the spooky adventure by聽 the Heward Church Board who is running the bar and kitchen, as well as by the Stoughton Demolition Derby Club who will be doing security at the Haunted Rink.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e [the Heward Rec Board] couldn鈥檛 do this on our own,鈥� Duxbury said. 鈥淭he Rec Board is down in numbers this year, but we鈥檙e still making it happen and that鈥檚 because of our volunteers and other groups willing to come in and help. TD Electric, Trevor Dayman, was another one that this wouldn鈥檛 have been possible without.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he electrical was huge for us this year, and last year we tinned the roof of the north end of the rink. This year we plan on updating the kitchen and bathrooms if we鈥檙e able to make enough.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For more information visit them on Facebook at Heward Parks & Rec.
