It’s that time of year again for lovers of fright in the Dryden area, as the Laura Howe Haunt returns this Saturday night.
This year's theme, "Conjuring in the Marsh," is a spin of sorts on The Blair Witch Project and The Conjuring, said organizer Laina Smith with the Dryden Fall Festival, which puts on the event.
“We don’t want to say much more, because we don’t want to give too much away,” she added.
Participants in the free event will stroll through the Laura Howe Marsh, with actors stationed strategically to give participants a jump or two.
The event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. with timed entrances starting at the Dryden government dock, going through the marsh and the coming back out on Van Horne Avenue. People can line up for another go around, but only after everyone has had their first trip through, said Smith.
Due to content and subject matter, all participants must be 13 years or older and sign a waiver, said Smith, "because it is very scary.”
Every year, the feedback is that people want it more scary, said Smith, “so we’ve tried this year to make it the scariest yet.”
While the event is fun, it’s important for participants to keep the interactions respectful, she added on a more serious note, saying some behaviour last year bordered on harassment.
The organization sent out a Facebook post after the 2021 event detailing abuse experienced by many of the actors, and urging attendees to be respectful.
One change organizers have implemented is that groups of youth are now required be accompanied by an adult on the trail.
“If a group is getting out of line, or making an actor feel uncomfortable, they will alert our security in the trail and that group will be escorted out,” Smith said.
In an effort to enhance the experience, lights from phones and flashlights will also be prohibited this year.
“The whole trail will be lit by lantern now,” Smith said. “We hope it will make it an even more scary experience, because now people don’t have a flashlight as a security blanket and they’ll be able to pay attention more to just what’s going on around them.”
“It’s just a hoot,” said Susan Paquette, a volunteer who has acted in the Haunt since it launched in 2020. “I’m a grandma, and I just like getting dressed up and making people laugh and scream.”
“People love being scared – they go, 'Oh, I’m so scared!' and then they want to go through again," she continued. "It’s an adrenaline thing. Things jump out at you that you don’t know are coming, and it’s a big surprise. So it’s good fun.”
This year's event will feature 37 actors and over 20 volunteers, in addition to the Canadian Ski Patrol taking care of First Aid and the OPP providing security. Dryden's amateur radio club will help with communications.
For more information, visit the Dryden Fall Festival website.
