By Bernie Ment
Contributing Writer
Ahh, October, that wonderful month where the leaves fall from the trees and the temperatures begin to drop to levels that beg one to remember that the white stuff is just around the corner. But don’t jump that gun just yet. It’s also that favorite time of year when people get to step out of the shells of everyday life, rip off that calm, cool and collected mask of societal acceptance and adopt a persona that reminds others that we live in a world of the walking dead and other creatures spawned in our nightmares.
Welcome to Halloween, kids! Here are a few fun places to visit over the next month.
Fright Nights at the Fair at the New York State Fairgrounds – Solvay
Number of attractions: 4
They’re baaa-ack and a few things have changed this year for the best bargain in town with four walk-throughs inside the beef cattle barn at the New York State Fairgrounds.
This year, they’ve brought back the Clown Prison and The Haunted Mansion attractions from last year. The Hostel has also returned and the level of detail inside all three of these walk-throughs has been improved and all three are somewhat longer than they’ve been in the past.
This year, they’ve added a zombie paintball hunt. The walk-through starts out in a maze through a crypt and eventually, you’ll get to a room where you’ll be given a pair of goggles to wear. You are then rushed into another room with seats lining both sides. Every foot or so, there’s a paint-gun. They drop the panels in front of the seats and you have about fifteen seconds to shoot as many zombies as possible. You’re then rushed into another room where you get to do it all over again. It’s short, but it’s a lot of fun! (Okay, maybe not so much for the zombies…)
Pricing: The price has gone up slightly. You can visit a single house for $10 but that would be insane. The combo ticket is just $25 for all four attractions and coupons are still available that will knock $5 off the price!
Hours: 7 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays and 7 to 11 p.m. Sundays.
For more info and directions, visit Frightnightsatthefair.com
My ratings: Clown Prison – 4.5 out of 5 bloody pumpkins, The Haunted House – 5 out of 5, The Hostel – 4.5 out of 5 and The Zombie Paintball Hunt – 4 out of 5.
Frightmare Farms – Fulton, NY
Number of attractions: 4
This place just keeps getting better and better every year.
All three of the main trails have been updated for 2016. You still have the Professor’s Museum of Fright (the main house), the Labyrinth and also the Mine of the Condemned. All three are phenomenally detailed and you really have to watch your step or you may find yourself lost in those mazes forever.
They’re also still running the Escape the Estate feature, however, for those who don’t want to visit the haunt for a full hour, they’ve introduced a new quick escape. You’re locked in the room with a woman chained to the exit door and you have three minutes to figure out the puzzle that unlocks her and the room. Sometimes she helps you, sometimes she doesn’t. Bwahh-hahhh-haaaaah!
Pricing: One attraction is $13, two are $22 and all three walk-throughs are $25. Add the Escape Room for an extra $5. Group rates and party rooms are available and if you prefer to skip the line, you can get a VIP band for a few dollars more and jump to the head of the class. The Escape the Estate feature attraction has a different pricing structure so you need to call for reservations and details.
Hours: 7 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays throughout October.
For more info, visit the webpage at frightmarefarms.net. Escape the Estate also has their own website at escapetheestate.com.
My ratings: Haunted House – 5 out of 5 bloody pumpkins, Mine Trail – 4 out of 5. The Labyrinth – 5 out of 5. Escape the Estate 3-Minute Quickie – 5 out of 5
The Last Ride – Hastings, NY
Number of attractions: 2
This house packs more screams into one short walk-through than most of the other attractions I’ve been to. There are new scenes and the paths aren’t quite as dark as they once were. The monsters still claw at you as your walk through and there are a few that scream. The attention to detail in the rooms is incredible as well. If you haven’t been through it recently, it’s worth a revisit.
But the trail is definitely this site’s signature attraction. There are several barns along the way where ghouls surround you and, in some cases, even claw at you from above. All the usual ghouls are here, but there are some other interesting characters as well. My personal favorite is the clown collective.
You have two choices for how to do the trail. There’s an open air hay wagon ride or a hearse where riders go through in coffins and the ghouls claw at you and try to pull you to your doom.
Pricing: You can ride the hayride for $12 or do the house for $10. A combo pass for both, though is just $20. If you prefer to ride the trail in the hearse, the price is $14 or you can do the hearse ride and house together for $22.
Hours: 7 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturdays throughout October and 7 to 10 p.m. Sundays.
For more information and directions, visit thelastridepalermo.com.
My ratings: The Haunted House – 5 out of 5 bloody pumpkins and The Haunted Hayride in Wagon – 4 out of 5 and in the Hearse – 5 out of 5.
The Haunted Forest – Williamstown, NY
Number of attractions: 3
What a difference a year makes!
Five years running and the Slaughterhouse feature is getting better and better despite its brevity. This is one diabolically mad family running the place.
The hayride is still the signature attraction here and it lasts for nearly 40 minutes. Along the way, you’ll meet a number of familiar denizens, including Jason, Freddie and a crazy host of diabolical clowns. You still have the choice of taking either the wagon or the hearse through it as well. I prefer the open air wagon. In the hearse, I could barely see anything and the detailed scenery is all for naught. However, the hearse ride does take you down a short road where the wagons cannot go, so it may be worth the extra venture.
The Dark Harvest walk-through still maintains it’s own level of excellence. Monsters jump out at you along the way and try to shock you with blowing horns and chainsaws. All in good fun, of course. You’ll get an escort through this one but don’t worry — it doesn’t distract from the fun or the horror.
Pricing: The hayride is $12 or you can take the Hearse for $13. The Dark Harvest walk-through is also $12 and the Slaughterhouse is $13. You can enjoy two attractions for $23 or pick any three for $33. You can also do the hayride, hearse and both walkthroughs for $44.
Hours: 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays throughout October.
For more information, visit thehauntedforestcny.com.
My ratings: The Hayride – 4.5 out of 5 bloody pumpkins, Hearse Ride – 4 out of 5, Dark Harvest – 5 out of 5 pumpkins and the Slaughterhouse – 4.5 out of 5.
Be sure to come back next week for a few more of these attractions. Remember to use discretion when bringing children to these events. Some of the imagery can be very intense for visitors of all ages. The monsters generally do not touch visitors but can still be very intimidating, so exercise restraint before lashing out at the ghouls. And as with everything else, enjoy the attractions responsibly.
