Creepy crawlers, freaky monsters, cavernous darkness and thick, ominous fog prevailed at the Haunted Halloween Walk at the Manitouwadge Rec Centre on Friday night.
Throughout the evening, edgy, anxious visitors stumbled their way through the semi-darkness, ducking through tendrils of simulated spider webs and ropy vines hanging from the ceilings, flashing lights and spine-chilling props and scenes depicting familiar horror movie themes.
Folks cautiously tiptoed past hair-raising depictions of bones, bats, rats, spiders, and other beasts, only to turn a corner and be confronted by screaming ghouls and spectres. The stuff of nightmares!
At one point, the hazy fog set off the fire alarm, adding to the chaos. The building had to be evacuated for a few minutes until the local volunteer fire department gave the all clear. Then it was lights out once again, and folks were allowed back into the rec centre. The frightening creatures returned to their lairs and dens, only to crawl out to scare the pants off the brave souls who dared enter the labyrinth of dark and dreary halls and dungeons.
The eerie annual haunted Halloween display, hosted by the Manitouwadge community services department for the better part of a decade, engaged a team of over 20 passionate volunteers who worked for weeks, creating the costumes and sets. They enjoyed their chance to don their creepy apparel, haunting, screaming and shouting as they became essential elements of the frightening event, despite the sore throats and tired lungs they would have to endure the following days.
Entry into the event was a donation to the local food bank, and the community, as always, stepped up and gave generously. Plans are already being made for next year’s event. Perhaps, with the passage of time the nightmares will have faded, and you will once again be brave enough to enter the Manitouwadge Haunted Halloween walk!