Halloween Contest: Local Attractions

Arkansas is mostly a rural state. This provides the opportunity for some scary stories and events to take place. It offers fun for the kids without scaring them out of their wits to the most bloody and gruesome attractions for adults that like to be frightened. This article will start with the mild and work it's way to the way out of control!

First on the list is "Boo at the Zoo". This event has taken place at the Little Rock Zoo for the past 15 years, this year being the 16th. It's a local celebration of fall and is a huge attraction for the children. It provides a safe place for trick-or-treating to take place in a secure environment. It's focus is mainly on the children, so the Halloween theme is kept to calm. "Spooky" creatures roam the zoo grounds playing with the children and not trying to frighten them. Local TV and radio personalities will also be found during this event. It is always a big local story for them to report. "Boo at the Zoo" boasts a haunted house, fun, house, fortune teller, and a beauty shop of horrors. You'll also encounter some talking pumpkins along the way! The festival begins October 24th and runs through the 31st from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. They offer free parking and free trolley rides are available if you end up parking at War Memorial Stadium or the east side of University Mall. Tickets are $5 per person, but if you are a member of "Friends of the Zoo", your discounted price is $4. If you would like ticket information, you may call them at (501) 664-2406.

Second on the list of family friendly fall entertainment is Schaefers Corn Maze in Mayflower, Arkansas. This will be the family's third year to provide a maze. The 2008 maze is called "Liberty", as in the Statue of Liberty. This maze is for older children and adults. They also offer a smaller maze, The Liberty Bell, for small children. In total, there are 3.8 miles of trails in the mazes. They tease that the "Liberty" maze is haunted at night, but that it isn't during the day because the goblins do have day jobs! Not only do they offer the two mazes, but the local Jaycees are providing a Haunted Hayride of what's called Lollie Bottoms for $10 per person. You can get $2 off of the hayride cost if you donate a canned good. The ride lasts from 30 to 60 minutes.

Other activities provided at Schaefers are the corn pit, tricycle corral, straw tunnels, horse shoes, hay bales to climb on and sack races. They do have a concession stand and picnic area, with Porta-Potties and hand washing stations close by. They do suggest you bring your own flashlight if you are walking the maze at night. But, if you forget to bring one, they sell them in the corn maze office. They welcome groups during the week, but you do need to call and set up a day and time. Across the road at a neighboring farm, a pumpkin patch is available along with farm animals and hay bale mazes. Their activities will cost an additional fee. Some tips for walking the maze: use heavy duty strollers with large tires or use the baby backpacks, carry water with you, take your time and don't panic because you can find your way out, and there isn't a shortcut or emergency exit, so be prepared! Corn Maze only prices are as follows: age 3-5 $3, 6-12 is $5, 13-60 is $7, 60 and up is $6. The smaller maze is $2.50 for the kids. A scenic hayride (not the Haunted Hayride by the Jaycees) is $3 and there is also a train ride for $3 available. If you want to do it all, they do offer combo tickets. If you are interested and want more info, you can call them at (501) 269-7903 or visit their website listed in the links section.

Third on the list is more for the adults that like to party. It's called "RockInPeace Halloween Party and Costume Contest. This is located at the Cornerstone Pub and Grill, 314 Main Street, North Little Rock. It is a benefit event for the Argenta Community Development Corporation on Halloween night, October 31st beginning at 7 p.m. A local band, First Impressions, will be performing that night. They offer a variety of musical styles and are known as a high energy party band guaranteed to keep you on your feet dancing all night. Not only is there great music, drinks and food, but you can participate in the costume contest as well and try to win up to a total of $1000 in prize money! Tickets are $10 for general admission or $25 for VIP admission, which allows to in to the VIP lounge. For more information, call (501) 374-0622.

Next on the list is a little offbeat. This is the 2008 Arkansas Paranormal Fair presented by The Spirit Seekers, Inc. It is one day only, Saturday, October 18th from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the ASCPA Conference Center, Phil Jones Building, 11300 Executive Center Drive, Little Rock. Cost is $4 advance admission and $5 at the door. There will be several vendors and speakers throughout the day. This provides an opportunity for those interested in the paranormal to visit with enlightened people and learn more about what is not understood by so many. It may be enough to even make doubters believe! The featured presentations are: "The Concept of Demons in Historical Texts" by Louis South, "Ghost Hunting 101" by Christina South, "JOTTS (Just One of Those Things) by Alan Lowe, " Health Benefits of Organite" by John Burcham, "Messages From Heaven" by Rev. Sharlette Pumphrey, and "Meditation: Making the Connection" by Angela Lowe. The topics sound very interesting and promise to guide you on your own paranormal journey.

Featured vendors are: "Made With Love Orgonics" which offers items such as environmental balancing and energetic healing to unique crystal jewelry; "Ivy's Mystic Treasures, LLC" which boasts natural products; " The Gift Of" provides spiritual healing specializing in DNA healing and even offers curse removal (now that one sounds interesting!); "The Stone Maiden" offers all types of crystals, stones, rocks, and minerals; "Rev. Sharlett Pumphrey - Certified Spiritual Medium" is an IET Master - Instructor, certified hypnotist and SomaEnergetics Practitioner; and finally, "The Spirit Seekers Paranormal Investigation Research and Intervention Team (SPIRIT)" which is the paranormal team known in Arkansas that offers investigation and documenting of the spirit world. You may contact The Spirit Seekers, Inc. at 14900 Wild Oak Lane, Roland, AR 72135 for more information, or follow the link.

Then there is the Nightmares Haunted House in Bentonville. This attraction has been going on for 21 years now, presented by the Bentonville Breakfast Lions Club. They have scared up thousands of dollars for local charities year after year. Volunteers are dedicated to the project year round from working on the house itself, participating in parades to stir up local interest, to attending haunted house conferences on their own time and with their own money. Talk about dedication! It all pays off, too. In 2005 alone, around 2,400 people attended and raised approximately $13,000! This haunted house deserves kudos for being such a successful fund raiser and hair raiser at the same time! It truly is a frightening experience for visitors. The tour begins with a nerve-wracking Ghoul Bus ride where the passengers face backwards and are forced to watch scary movies such as "Jeepers Creepers". Once they arrive at the house made from 150 year old barn wood, they must face their darkest fears. From the pungent odors to the spooks that come out of nowhere, there is no escape. Screams and splattered blood await around every sinister corner. No mercy will be shown as victims stumble their way through the dark house. The back door may be found, but peace is not. Now it is time to face the graveyard. Ahh, are you ready yet? If this place doesn't scare you then nothing will. It changes each year so even return guests don't know what to expect. This year the haunting begins October 11th and continues on the 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, and 31st with a final show on November 1st. Times are 7p.m. to around 11p.m. Adult tickets are $10 and 12 and under are only $5. It is located behind Kozy Heat Fireplaces in Bentonville, which happens to be across from Lowe's. To get more information, use the links. You may also like to read past articles about the event.

Finally, if you are a true ghost hunter, try the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs. The entire town has ghostly stories to tell, but the Crescent is probably the most famous. Built in 1886 by architect Isaac L. Taylor, it has a very unstable history. It has been a hotel, college, and a hospital. But the stories of it being haunted began during construction when a worker fell to his death in room 218. Although other places in the hotel have had sightings, this room is known as the most haunted. Apparently, if you stay in this room, you can expect to feel strange sensations and sounds such as doors slamming shut and being shaken in your sleep. Don't be disappointed, though, if you can't get into room 218, because rooms 424 and 202 have also had their fair share of sightings. Reportedly, room 202 had a ghost photographed in it. If staying the night in the Crescent is just too much for you, don't worry, other ghosts may be found throughout the building. One is known to appear in the bar and lobby area. You can try to speak to him, but he'll just ignore you and fade away.

Another sighting has been of a nurse pushing a gurney down the hall. Probably one of the reasons for all of the activity stems from 1937, when Norman Baker purchased it. He opened the hospital and health resort. The problem was, he was a quack practicing medicine without a license. He had no formal medical training at all. He "practiced" experimental medicine on his patients. Thus, probably killing some and trapping their spirits in the Crescent. For myself, I can say that I've experienced strange sensations in the Crescent. I visited one time several years ago. While using the bathroom, I felt as if I was being watched. Not just in the stall, but even as I washed my hands. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up and panic just welled up inside me. At the time, I didn't even know of the ghost stories surrounding the hotel. We were visiting just to see the beautiful architectural structure. Later, I found out that the Crescent was haunted. I've never been back since. The show Ghost Hunters from TLC has also sent the TAPS crew there to see what they could prove. They did pick up some readings on their equipment and pretty much proved that the Crescent is haunted. To visit there yourself, you can call 1-800-342-9766.

Arkansas has so much more in the way of ghost stories and hauntings. With the fall season here, it's the perfect time to experience the "dark side" of the Natural State. Hopefully, I have provided a guide to some of the better attractions during this time of year. So, get out and enjoy!