A close friend recently reminded me it has been a decade since the time we attended the annual Scream Fair at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden, and I shrieked in terror before we even set foot in the haunted house.
The pre-scare was thanks to a parking lot zombie who got in my face next to the passenger side window of the car, but there have been plenty of times in the years since when the event put on by the Meridian FFA Boosters has caused me to yell out in terror.
I’ve become more wary in the parking lot, but something about walking through a murderous maze at a livestock barn-turned-Halloween haunt gives me the heebie-jeebies. Throw in gory servings of blood-splattered walls, babbling lunatics, body parts and more, and I’m likely to react like another friend who has attended the Scream Fair with her kids — as in, she has used them as human shields.
I missed last year’s “Nightmare at the Museum” Scream Fair, but am going to try to check out this year’s “Nightmare Theater”-themed affair, where I’m imagining the actors taking their turns under the spotlights — or strobe lights, as the case may be — will be dying for attention. If you’re interested, turn at Gate 2 on Front Street and go from 7–10 p.m. Oct. 28–29; and 7–9:30 p.m. Mon., Oct. 31. Entry is $10 for kids 12 and younger (parental discretion is advised) and $12 general at the door only (return trips are $5). If at 9 p.m. the line for the Scream Fair exceeds a two-hour wait, ticket sales will stop (and so will your heart). Info: screamfairhaunt.com.
During the same time frame, the Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth (BAAY) will be hosting The Nightmare on Railroad at Boundary Bay Brewery’s beer garden, known for the weekend as the Haunted Fear Garden, 1107 Railroad Ave. For the seventh annual event, the outdoor space will once again be transformed into spooky scenes chock-full of ghouls, ghosts and startling surprises.
BAAY’s Zombie Dancers have been hard at work behind the scenes perfecting their dead-can-dance routine, complete with mouths agape, hunched and shuffling limbs, and claw-like hands reaching out for whatever they can latch on to. The zombies will be in attendance for the all-ages portion of The Nightmare on Railroad Oct. 28, 29 and 31; Saturday, Oct. 29 at BAAY Theater; and Monday, Oct. 31 at the Depot Market Square. The Haunted Fear Garden will be all-ages from 6–9 p.m. Oct. 28, 29 and 31 ($5 admission); and 21-plus from 9–11 p.m., with more mature content ($10 entry fee).
Proceeds will benefit BAAY, which provides access to the arts for area youth. Each year, the nonprofit gives approximately $30,000 in tuition waivers to families who wouldn’t otherwise be able to participate, meaning every time you bellow in fear during The Nightmare on Railroad, you’ll be helping a kid achieve their dreams. Info: baay.org.
But that’s not all. Whatcom Frightmare Haunted House organizer Beth Hensley has been hard at work directing a smaller-than-usual crew of actors and crew members for the fifth annual event, which will continue Oct. 28–30 at Ferndale’s Pioneer Park, 2004 Cherry St.
“Our haunted house has a little bit of everything in it,” Hensley said, adding that they don’t have a theme, but instead riff off scary movies and add other elements of the season.
“It’s a lot of work to put on the haunted house, but it’s a lot of fun to see people scream and laugh,” she said.
The challenge, she noted, is finding volunteers willing to deal with vagaries such as the weather — which on opening night included rain and cooler temperatures. But it didn’t seem to stop the spooky fun.
Among the devilish delights were a meat market offering a sale on all body parts — as well as a blood bank with a nighttime drop off, “finger” food, loose skulls and questionable wrapped goods. Meanwhile, actors costumed as the grim reaper, a moldering zombie and what looked to be an escapee from a sanitarium were ready to frighten folks attending the “full scare,” and older kids could be seen running from a chainsaw-wielding lunatic.
“A light scare is for the younger kids who are scared of monsters,” Hensley said. “We turn on all the lights in the haunted house and the monsters are doing funny dances and playing musical instruments. The full scare is where the lights go off and the monsters run amok.”
Light scares take place from 5–7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28; and from 3–7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Full scares happen from 8–10 p.m., Oct. 28–29; and 5–9 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 30. Admission is $8 per person or $30 per group of four, and proceeds go to the Lummi Nation Boys and Girls Club and the Ferndale Food Bank. Side note: From 3–5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, the city of Ferndale will also be hosting its “Mystery in the Park,” with local actors bringing an interactive mystery to life at the park’s Pioneer Village. The event happens in conjunction with the downtown trick-or-treat and Whatcom Frightmare.
“The other nice thing about our haunted house is that it’s wheelchair-accessible,” Hensley said. Info: facebook.com/whatcomfrightmare.
If a haunted house can’t contain you, consider signing up for the Anacortes Haunted Forest, which covers a two-mile stretch at the city’s Washington Park, 6300 Sunset Ave.
“Your journey will be filled with suspense, dark corners and creatures lurking through the trees,” organizers said. “The sun goes down and the fear is cranked up.”
For that kind of adventure, you’re going to need a flashlight or headlamp — and maybe some garlic or a cross to keep bloodsuckers away. Costumes are encouraged and registration is necessary. Entry is $10. Info: 360-293-1918 or coa.parks@cityofanacortes.org.
