The St. Paul Recreation Centre will be pulling out all the ghouls and whistles on Oct. 30 and 31, as it plays host for the fourth year to the twisted delights of the Williams' Haunted House and the more PG-rated fun of the Spooktacular Halloween Scream.
The frights get underway on the night of the Oct. 30 as this year's collection of fiendish creatures will be lurking in the darkest corners of the Williams Haunted House, open to the public from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Organizer Oralee Williams promises the house will have some new tricks up its sleeves this Halloween. “Every year, it's always newer, and better and bigger," she said. She and her husband Brad started the haunted house in their home as a Halloween party for their daughter more than a decade ago, but since then, the Haunted House has grown to the point it encompasses half of the Recreation Centre. For $2, people can wander through the eerie set-up and take a closer look at all the ghastly objects on display or they can just run right through and live to tell the tale. All ages are welcome, but Williams suggests parents may want to use their discretion on letting their children come through.
Although Williams doesn't like scary movies or getting scared herself, she notes it's fun to see people of all ages enjoying the haunted house or getting startled by the volunteers in their mad scientist or zombie roles. “It's my giggle therapy for at least a few months."
Then on Sunday, the Williams, the Town of St. Paul, the Parent Link Centre, volunteers and sponsors team up to provide Halloween night entertainment. Following Town of St. Paul Halloween trick-or-treating hours from 4 to 6 p.m., kids can enjoy candy, fun and games at the Spooktacular Halloween Scream at the Recreation Centre, which runs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. alongside the Williams Haunted House.
For $2, kids can come in and spend all the time they like playing carnival games, dressing-up, doing crafts or tip-toeing through a not-so-haunted house. Among the carnival fun this year are booths for face painting, nail polish, tattoos; a fishing game; a mummified game to practice toilet-papering someone in a fun and non-threatening manner; ghostly hoops; and a 'driving me crazy' booth for the kids who need to blow off some steam by blasting around on toy cars.
“I'm really excited," said Parent Link programmer and organizer Sheila Parks, who's already picked out her outfit. Last year for Halloween, she was a cavewoman, and this year, she will be channeling Miss Piggy. Parks encourages families to get dressed up, since there will be costume judging, with cash prizes and/or ribbons up for grabs in four different categories of costumes: family, scariest, funniest and most original. Last year, one family that won came in an animal theme, with even their little dog dressed up as a rabbit, said Parks.
“I'm always trying to promote family interaction and family fun together. That's how you create wonderful memories for your kids and yourself," she said. The Spooktacular Halloween Scream and the Haunted House offer a way to let kids enjoy the evening in a safe manner, while still getting to collect candy and treats donated by local businesses, she noted.
Both Parks and Williams say volunteers play a big role in ensuring the annual success of the event, and Parks adds more volunteers are always welcome. Interested people can call Parks at the Parent Link, at 780-645-1117 or just look for Miss Piggy at the Recreation Centre on the night of the Spooktacular Halloween Scream to volunteer their time. Proceeds from the events go to Haying in the '30s and the Canadian Tire Jump Start program.
“We couldn't do this if we didn't have all the support of sponsors and family and friends," added Williams. “We just want everyone to come out as families and have a good time."
