Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011
Want a good scare?
Haunted 'Possum Creek' benefits Raleigh Jaycees
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closeAshley Nemeth knew the faces behind the masks. She'd watched them get into costume. She performs community service with them throughout the year.
Then the lights went out. The vacant office suite on Hillsborough Street transformed into the Raleigh Jaycees' fictional haunted town of Possum Creek.
"I didn't think it was going to be scary," Nemeth said. "By the end, I was running and screaming out."
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More Halloween and fall events
Wakefield haunted house and festival: Wakefield High School's theater company will run a haunted house from 5-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the school, 2200 Wakefield Pines Drive. On Saturday, a family festival will run from 5-8 p.m., with trick-or-treating, concessions, games and inflatables. Tickets for the amusements are $1 each or 15 for $10. Admission to the haunted house is five tickets. For more information, go to www. wake field theatre .net .
Batty batty batty: Batty Batty Batty 1-2-3 is set for 1-3 p.m. Saturday at Blue Jay Point County Park, 3200 Pleasant Union Church Road, Raleigh. Children ages 6-8 will learn about the types of bats that can be found in Wake County and make a night creature luminaria. Cost is $8 per child. Registration is required. For more information, call 870-4330.
SPCA's Howl-O-Ween celebration: Party like an animal from 1-4 p.m. Saturday at the SPCA's Curtis Dail Pet Adoption Center in Raleigh just off Tryon Road and Hwy. 70. The event will feature crafts, sweets, games and a fashion show put on by dogs available for adoption. Meet the winner of the SPCA's Best Black Shelter Cat contest and take part in a storytelling time with SPCA Humane Educator, Vanessa Budnick. A monetary donation or pet-related item as admission to help support the SPCA's life-saving programs is appreciated. Party goers should leave their own pets at home to allow the homeless dogs, cats and rabbits to have center stage. For more details, visit www. spca wake .org/ halloween or call 919-772-2326.
Haunted Mordecai: Mordecai Historic Park will hold a night of Halloween-themed fun from 5-10 p.m. Saturday. The free event will include food, music, games and crafts on the lawn at 1 Mimosa St., Raleigh. A kids' costume contest will begin at 6 p.m. The National Society for Paranormal Investigation and Research will be on site to reveal their findings from the Mordecai House and answer questions. For more information, call 919-857-4364 or go to www. raleigh nc.gov /mordecai .
Casa Esperanza Fall Festival: Casa Esperanza Montessori Charter School's Fall Festival is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 3801 Spring Forest Road, Raleigh. Activities include inflatables, games, food, music and a fun run. Cost is $5 per person or $20 per family. Cost is $8 at the door. For more information, call Elizabeth Strong at 855-9811 or visit www. cemcs .org .
Hopefest: HopeFest is scheduled from noon-4 p.m. Saturday at Hope Lutheran Church, 3525 Rogers Road, Raleigh. The free event includes face-painting, hayrides, games, costume parade, music, pony rides, inflatables and bounce houses, food, and a pie contest. "Trunk or treating" will be available for children. For more information, visit www. hope lutheran wf.org .
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What: 2011 Raleigh Jaycees haunted house, Terror at Possum Creek: Power Outage
Hours: Starting 7 p.m. Thursday through Monday
Where: 2526 Hillsborough St., across from the N.C. State University campus
Cost: $10 per person. Special discount nights include Oct. 27, which is Student/Teacher Appreciation Night, and Oct. 30, which is Public Service Night for local police officers and firefighters.
More information: Visit www. jchaunted house .com for more on admission and hours.
After a year's hiatus, the volunteer organization's scream-fest for a good cause is back, one of many haunted houses that kicked off early for this Halloween weekend.
Designed by Jaycees member "Scary Beth" Baldwin and her pack of dedicated fright-meisters, Possum Creek has suffered through a prison outbreak and a scream-filled resort in past Halloweens. But Raleigh Jaycees President Andy Zeh says this year is their scariest yet: A hurricane has knocked out power, sending the town into a complete blackout.
But the darkness isn't empty. "I don't think anybody's peed their pants yet, but there's lots of fear, lots of fun," Nemeth said. "We have some very experienced monsters."
The spooky town has a stock of recurring characters returning this year, from the "terrifying" scarecrow Dr. Crutch ("Literally, I'm terrified of this guy," Nemeth said), to Invisible Dave, who's scarier than his nickname sounds.
The Jaycees are an organization promoting leadership through community service, holding more than 100 service events throughout the year.
The group has run a Halloween haunted house off and on since the 1970s, Zeh said. They couldn't find a venue last year, but this time they're right smack in the middle of the N.C. State University campus. As the only under-21 venue on the Hillsborough Haunted Hike, Zeh hopes they will attract the college crowd.
The whole event is planned, designed and staffed by volunteers. That includes the monsters.
And those daring enough to step through the doors should expect a few surprises, Zeh said: This year's house features some new technology that promises to send attendees screaming into the night.
Just ask Nemeth.
