Going on a witch hunt: what to do and where this Halloween season

Ah, the sweet sounds and sights of autumn! From apple cider, to cider donuts, to hard cider, fall is one of those times of year when you can be sure to find something to enjoy. It also brings about feelings of mortality and death, what with the harvest and all. In the past, when we lived as a much more agrarian society, fall was the time of year that the life and food we’d been growing all summer was chopped down and prepared for winter: the time of death.

These feelings of mortality hint at the supernatural. The otherside, with magic, and things that go bump in the night: the fall brings out our curiosity with the macabre and unexplained. Halloween is the literal embodiment of everything that is fall. It sets you slightly ill at ease, because you’re not quite sure who’s lurking behind the mask; at the same time, it is a time of celebration and joviality, like the end of the harvest season of old.

We at Carousel are, as always, dedicated to you having the most fun as possible at all times, and fully exploring the fruits of our region. (Have you gone apple picking yet?) With that in mind, let’s take a quick tour of the events embracing the Halloween spirit this month.

We’ll start off in Owego, at Slava’s Zombie Circus. Slava’s Zombie Circus was created after nearly half the performers of Slava’s Psycho Circus contracted a mysterious virus that left them not quite living, and not quite dead. The performers were filled instead with a desire for human flesh. Not one to let a little thing like zombification stop the show, Slava has set up four fun-filled activities; that is, fun if you’re into the possibility of having your brains eaten.

Two of the activities include walking around, and are not recommended for children 13 or under. The first is Slava’s Maize of Terror, which also, coincidentally, is the area’s only haunted corn maze. Once inside, you’ll find yourself lost in a labyrinth filled with the otherworldly. Be careful not to lose your grip on reality, or you might just find yourself becoming one of the creatures of the night. You can also visit Bloodypines Carnyville, which is where Slava’s living and undead troupe dwells. Give his friends a warm welcome, though, or you may end up a more permanent resident than you’d like.

There will also be a chance for you to let out some of the pent up fear, or any residual anger at Slava you may feel after wetting your pants. At the Blacklight Zombie Paintball Ring, you can shoot glow-in-the-dark paintballs at the sorry undead suckers. At Airsoft Pumpkin Carving… well, you get the idea.

There will also be haunted carnival rides, and beer will be provided by the Binghamton Brewing Co. Tickets for two attractions are $20 each, and for all four are $30. Tickets to carnival rides are sold separately. Slava’s Zombie Circus will take place the last three Fridays and Saturdays of October, from 7-11pm, and is located at 445 Miller Beach Rd. in Owego. For more information, visit slavaszombiecircus.com.

Now that we’ve been sufficiently spooked outside, let’s head to Binghamton and back into the relative safety of the Southern Tier Independence Center’s Haunted Halls of Horror. Or rather, the maybe-not-so-safety.

Inside the Halls, you’ll find five different themed “adventures”: Blackout, Necropolis, Blood Creek Massacre, Outbreak, and the Vortex of Terror 3D. In Blackout, you’ll encounter one of mankind’s greatest and oldest fears: the dark. What’s making that sound in the corner? Did you just hear footsteps behind you? Are those eyes shining in the dark or is your mind playing tricks on itself? The only way out is in.

Necropolis brings you to the city of the dead, where evil writhes and shouts. Why are the dead walking, and why are they mad at you?

Next comes the Blood Creek Massacre. Your host used to be a caring and kind fellow, who threw grandiose parties in the woods. Why he snapped, and murdered all his guests with a chainsaw, no one knows. Best not to look behind you once you hear the whirring of the chain… just run!

In Outbreak, you’ll have to try escape from a prison. Winter is coming, and you see, there’s just not enough supplies, so the guards are going to have to… lower the population. You’d better hope you can find a way out, or you’re sure to fall ill to the Outbreak.

Finally, the Vortex of Terror 3D will throw you into an episode of Twilight Zone. We are in Binghamton, after all…

The Haunted Halls of Horror are located in the basement of the Southern Tier Independence Center, 135 East Frederick St. on Binghamton’s East Side. The Halls will be open from 7-10pm, every Friday and Saturday in October, starting October 1st. Tickets and more information are available at hhh-stic.com.

Once out of the Haunted Halls, you may feel like you need something a little more surreal, instead of terrifying. In that case, hop on down the road to Court Street, and attend the final JungleScience party, ever.

Une Petite Morte avec de l’Opium is the 13th, and final, Halloween party at JungleScience. JungleScience is known for their sometimes macabre, sometimes surreal, and always over-the-top awesome art shows, and this party will be no exception. The theme, (if you can’t read French) is an opium den. Dress appropriately; or at least, dress up. Otherwise, you will not be allowed in. Also, it is a charity fundraiser (benefitting the Memory Maker Project), so there is $20 door charge. This is a party you most certainly do not want to miss. It will run from 9pm-3am on October 22nd, and food and drink will be provided.

Jungle Science may be holding its last party, but the first ever Terror Expo/Horror Showcase will be happening at the Best Western in Johnson City. This event will feature vendors dealing in the macabre, such as Cell Division Studios, which crafts custom latex masks, and Tormented Mind Sanctuary, which crafts custom jewelry. I Am Horror will also be there, both to show their film Demon Messenger, but also to promote their new film, House on Ghost Hill Road.

There will be guests and special interviews, including Bill Diamond, who’s worked on such projects such as Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and Fraggle Rock. You can visit with him, and see the Little Shop of Horrors plant. Jeremy Ambler will also be attending, from the Walking Dead, and some of the cast and crew from Tales of Dracula, including Tom DeLilo, Amber Gance, and Greta Volkova.The Horror Showcase will include horror films shot and produced locally. Films include: Batailla de Sang, a silent film; Demon Messenger, from I Am Horror productions; Tales of Dracula, featuring Greta Volkova; and Dream State, a short film from Scott Danzig.

Other events include a sword swallower (read about Amanda April June on page 21), and a Halloween costume contest judged by Ron Chamberlain, a Hollywood special effects makeup artist. Tickets are $10 at the door for adults, and children under 12 get in free. The Best Western is located at 569 Harry L Drive in Johnson City. It all takes place on 10/8.

Also a new event, the Southern New York Paranormal Expo will be putting on its first annual Hunt, at the American Legion, Post 80. The group invites all to join for a day filled with guest speakers and more, from ghost hunters to psychics and sasquatch researchers. There will also be vendors and equipment distributors, so if you’d like to stock up on supplies before attending any haunted houses, this will be the event to go to.

S.N.Y.P.E. will be charging $7 dollars at the door for the Hunt, but proceeds will be going to the American Legion’s Operation: Comfort Warriors project. The Hunt will be held from 10am to 6pm on Saturday, October 15th, and more information about the S.N.Y.P.E. Hunt 2016 can be found on Facebook. More information about Operation: Comfort Warriors can be found at legion.org/operationcomfortwarriors.

Finally, if you’re looking for a little getaway, there are a couple of events that are out of range of the Triple Cities, but definitely well worth the trip.

For a magical, (and family friendly) getaway, turn to Press Bay Alley… I mean Diagon Alley, just a 47-minute drive northwest of Binghamton in gorge-ous Ithaca. From Thursday, October 27th, through Sunday, October 30th, you’ll be able to find wizarding delights for kids of all ages, and wizards of all talent levels. From a Horcrux Hunt to a Dark Arts Coffee tour, and trick-or-treating at Hogsmeade and Knockturn Alley, there will be a range of activities for all to participate in. And, if you’re over 21, don’t forget to participate in the Advanced Potions class on Friday night.

There will also be tours of Tompkins County, as well as costume contests and a TriWizard Ball. It’s certainly an event that any true wizard wouldn’t want to miss.

Slightly farther away, with a slightly less family friendly atmosphere, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, you can check out the acres and acres of horror that is Reaper’s Revenge. Here’s a little story about what happened there a few years ago...

The teens had heard of the northeast’s most terrifying haunted attraction, but laughed at the old man outside who told them to turn and leave now. He had been portentously muttering “omens” and “not right under the new moon,” but Dorcas, Janice, Mike, and Filbert just laughed and threw their empty beer bottles at him. “There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Mike belched, as he sidled up to Janice. “And if there is, don’t worry, I’ll protect you-” he brandished a Swiss army knife. “Pure silver - will slice right through any of those bastards - werewolves, vampires, or ghosts.”

Janice laughed as she withdrew from his arm. “I thought there was no such thing as ghosts” she said, stomping out her cigarette. “Anyway, can you pay for my ticket?” she asked, and they walked up to the counter as Mike put his arm around her waist. They paid to lose their souls.

As they entered the first of the four courses of horror they were about to be served, they started to question if their courage had been misplaced. “Did you see the driver’s eyes?” demanded Filbert. “They can’t be real – no one’s eyes glow like that.” They were the only four in the wagon. The driver careened away, crazily, and the group realized that, just perhaps, they should have listened to the old man outside...

The actual sequence of events is uncertain, but Filbert was the first to go, inexplicably strung from a noose hanging over the Haunted Hay Ride. Next was Dorcas - the skin on her face peeled back, lips puckered in a kiss, frozen on the ground in the Tunnel of Love at the end of the Lost Carnival. Was it the demented clown? The screeching ghost of a denied bride? The truth of Janice’s fate is unknown - she entered Pitch Black, and succumbed to the darkness without leaving a trace. Mike’s body was found, abdomen pierced on a steel rod by the denizens of the Wasteland. His eyes were open, petrified, with the knife he had been so sure would protect him shoved through his throat.

Just kidding. That didn’t actually happen… or did it? Reaper’s Revenge is the premiere haunted attraction in the northeast. Located just outside of Scranton PA, they serve four terrifying cocktails: first, the Haunted Hayride, the only time you may feel safe, protected by the iron bars surrounding the carriage; next, steel yourself for the Lost Carnival, with horror lurking behind every corner. Embrace the darkness in Pitch Black, or find yourself lost before you reach the petrifying maze of the Wasteland. Reaper’s Revenge opens at sunset every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until November 5th. Tickets are $35, and directions can be found on their website, reapersrevenge.net.

So, this Halloween season (September 1st through Thanksgiving), go on out and enjoy yourself, get a little scared, and find out what it really means to celebrate the eve of all our souls. Hey, election day’s only eight days after...