Valley Parks and Rec Haunted Hayride Whispers From the Cabin
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
VALLEY — Fun, fantastic and a little frightening, the Valley Parks and Recreation Department’s Haunted Hayride: Whispers From the Cabin will take place Oct. 31 following the Fall Festival. Tickets are $2 per person per ride.
“The Fall Festival is from around 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.,” said Valley Parks and Recreation Director Jon Neal. We hope that we have a line of people waiting to get on the Hayride. We will open [the Hayride] at 7:30 p.m., and we'll start loading the trailers there, next to the back gate leading to Lakeview, and you will be able to ride through there. We don't want to give away any secrets, but you'll definitely get to see some clowns, maybe a favorite horror movie character, several scenes and hopefully it's a great night for the whole family. We want to scare you, but in a fun and joyful way, where you don't have nightmares the rest of the week.”
Neal said he is enjoying providing additional events for locals, and has heard positive feedback on event options for both families and adults.
“We’re kind of tailoring the Fall Festival to your younger age kids, with also tailoring the Haunted Hayride to the older group — late elementary, middle school group age kids,” he said. “It’s also family-friendly for younger age kids, but the community seems excited that there are more local events, so that they may not have to drive into Opelika this year to experience something like this.”
By bringing new events — like the Hayride — to Valley, Neal said he hopes to continue the momentum of developing the Valley Parks and Recreation for locals and visitors to enjoy.
“We hope people see that time, effort and resources were put into an event like this,” he said. “So when we have an event like Touch A Truck in the spring, the Spring Craft Fair or a Movies in the Park program, people know it's going to be well planned out, they're going to have a wonderful experience with it, and they are going to be communicated with. Hopefully, programs such as this can continue to grow local events here in Valley.”
To haunt and hunt for candy and treats at the Fall Festival event — located at Valley Sportsplex — Neal said there will be 20 vendors, over 20 games and bounce houses, a DJ and candy for kids.
“They can kind of get a full encompassing experience, so they can spend more than just a few hours, or spend more than just a few minutes doing trunk or treat,” he said. “But they're getting music, games, inflatables and they're also getting that experience, like a trunk or treat, where they can get their candy and stuff for their kids.”
Along with being a space for family fun and fall festivities, Neal said he is excited for the Haunted Hayride and the Fall Festival to kick off the holiday season.
“I think Halloween truly starts the holiday season,” he said. “You start with Halloween, then go on to Thanksgiving, and then you get what everybody wants — Christmas. [Fall events] get everyone in the spirit of community and coming together. It’s a time when things slow down — the busy summer season and hot weather fade away — and we turn to a great time of year filled with the holidays.
For more information, visit Valley Parks and Recreation on Facebook.
