Those looking to get into the Halloween spirit early this year will be afforded the chance at the Boys and Girls Club of Williams Lake and District’s annual Haunted House on Oct. 25 and 26.
This popular event is held every year as an opportunity for lakecity youth to find creative ways to scare children and adults alike while raising money and food for the Boys and Girls Club’s youth food bank. It’s being organized this year by Krista Harvey, the program services leader of the club, and a big Halloween enthusiast herself.
The haunted house will take place over the course of two days this year, Harvey said, to allow them to put on both a family-friendly night and a “full scare” night the day after. The Friday family-friendly haunted house runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. while on Saturday the full scare haunted house goes from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
They are collaborating with Downtown Williams Lake, Williams Lake Photography, Kristen Foote Hair and Makeup and Sunny Dyck as well as the children of the club, Harvey said. Dyck especially has been a huge influence on the process this year in terms of both inspiration and being willing to provide much of the props they’ll be using.
“Our theme is ‘What’s your fear?’ so it’s totally open. Everything you’re scared of could happen at the haunted house,” Harvey said.
Read More: Boys and Girls Club ready to delight with Tim Burton-themed haunted house
So far she said there are around 20 people involved in planning and putting on the haunted house, though she is sure that number will grow the closer they get to the date.
This year, because they’ve separated the family-friendly night from the full-scare night, she feels there is a real sense of excitement building up in the club. The lack of one cohesive theme has also made the planning of the haunted house far more interesting, Harvey said.
Some of the ideas being considered includes clowns, a jack in the box, spiders, snakes, birds, scary dolls and oddly enough Harvey said “scary old people” was top of the list of idea the club’s youth came up with. Thanks to Gordon’s Septic Water & HydroVac, Harvey said they’ll have porta-potties on-site, freeing them up to use the washrooms as space for scenes for scares.
“Because I don’t like to be scared, I like to scare people and I think it’s really exciting (to plan the event) this year. I think it may be our most exciting one,” Harvey said. “It’s going to be epic and probably the scariest one we’ve ever had.”
Anyone looking to get involved in the haunted house is welcome to come to the Boys and Girls Club and ask for her, she said, so long as it is before Friday and Saturday. They can also contact Harvey directly at 250-305-4254.
Admission is by a donation of either food or money of any value, with all money going towards club programming.
“For adults, haunted houses bring out the kid in you and for kids, it’s just fun and something to do as a family,” Harvey said. “Everyone loves a haunted house.”
Read More: Nightmare on 9th Haunted House relocates to lakecity’s CMHA office
patrick.davies@wltribune.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter