Haunted Fairgrounds needs more victims

The buildings look normal, painted and nicely kept, but inside lurks a scary maze, haunted rooms, the wall of hands, skeletons, ghouls and graveyards, just to name a few of the sights at the Haunted Fairgrounds in Ronan.

The Mission Valley FFA chapter set up the horrifying scenes for Halloween and as a fundraiser for their group. Kids and adults have fun, and it provides funds for travel and competition for the FFA members.

Some of the FFAers were in Indianapolis at the National FFA Convention last week having competed at the district and state meets to earn a trip to national, but the rest of the FFA crew worked hard on planning and constructing the scary vignettes. They trundled in wheelbarrows full of bloody body parts, skeletons, skulls, ghouls, creepy costumes, and gallons of blood. The collection of ghoulish props come from four years spent hosting the haunted house, as well as from yard sales and Walmart.

Zeanna Webster and Cooper Wayman were part of the FFA team who spent hours last week at the site.

“We put up all the tarps that were inside of the barns and in the maze, and we thought up ideas for what’s inside,” Wayman said.

The Haunted Fairgrounds begins with the entrance to the maze in the arena barn, and a choice of one of three dark tunnels to enter. (Not to give anything away, but chainsaws can be heard starting up, there are howls and chains rattling, and the big bunny is tying his running shoes. Oh, and there’s a black casket.)

Then Haunted Fairgrounds visitors search for the way back to the safety of green grass and light.

Wayman and Webster said grown-ups and parents jumped in to help staple tarps and plastic sheets back in place. One man had a chainsaw and joined the scare crew.

Webster and Wayman recalled a group of five girls who went through the attraction five times, each time vowing not to scream. Then the chainsaw would fire up and they’d scream.

A small boy was walking through the barn saying, “I’m not scared of you. I’m not scared of you.” When someone growled at him, he ran back the way he came.

“It’s nice we get to use the barns because of the weather,” Wayman said. “Sometimes is gets so, so cold.”

“Last year it got really cold,” Webster added.

Cold weather brought up all the interesting things FFA members can do during the winter to prepare them for spring competitions, such as preparing for livestock, horse, forestry, veterinarian science and mechanics contests.

“There are actually so many different opportunities for agriculture,” Wayman said. “… It’s a great opportunity for kids who are on the edge (of joining FFA) to seeing if they want to be involved.”

Webster chimed in. “FFA allows you to step out of your comfort zone, talk to new people.”

When asked about last week’s attendance, the two FFAers said Friday night was kind of slow, but then everyone heard about the Haunted Fairgrounds going on, and Saturday night was much busier.

The Haunted Fairgrounds will also have a last chance performance on Halloween, in tandem with the trunk-or-treat at the fairgrounds, beginning at 4:30 p.m.