Little family gearing up for annual Haunt in the Park event

Written By MARNI WALSH

Carola Little says she does not want to give away too many scary details about what is new at the Little Family Halloween Haunt this year, but they have added a third evening activity, a number of new character roles, and built four new structures that are sure to enhance the ghoulish event.

The “full scare” version, in full costume and makeup, takes place at Fiddle Park, from 6 pm – 10 pm on Saturday, October 27th, 6pm – 9 pm on Sunday, October 28th, and of course the main event is Halloween night from 6pm – 10pm on Wednesday, October 31st. Mini Boo, the less scary version for little ones, takes place at the same time as downtown Shelburne's “Treats in the Streets” event, from 10 am  to 2 pm on Saturday, October 27th.

Drivers of Dufferin County and Attridge have arranged for a free bus shuttle to run between “Treats in the Street” and Little's Haunt in Fiddle Park. Bus stops will include the Royal Canadian Legion, Hyland Heights Elementary, Centre Dufferin Recreation Centre, and Fiddlepark. Carola Little says, “The bus will run the loop continuously for the course of the event.”

“Thanks to local businesses, we are good for supplies this year,” says Carola Little. “No Frills has stepped up again and agreed to provide all the candy for the events. And BluWood has kept us well supplied in wood, enabling us to continue to grow and add to the Haunt. Additional business involvement from Crewson Insurance, and of course the Town of Shelburne, has allowed us to host the event at the Fiddle Park, a location that suits the particular needs of the Haunt perfectly.”

Saturday evening, 52 costumed volunteers will be on site for the “full scare. On Sunday evening, the Little's have “added some incentive” to bring out the crowds. “There are a few key characters that always seem to create the most fear and collect the most screams,” says Carola Little. “This year we offer a chance for revenge. Come out on the Sunday night from 6pm-9pm and enter your name into the draw. The winner will be able to exact their revenge by hitting the character of their choice in the face with a cream pie on Monday night. That should be incentive enough to come out, as we know some people have been plagued with nightmares after a visit from our ringleader and friend Micheal Myers.”

Last year, Little's Haunt hosted 1,110 people and collected $548 and 814 lbs of food for the Shepherd's Cupboard Foodbank. “We would love to break those records this year, but we can't do that without visitors,” says Carola Little. “For those faint of heart, there is always the abbreviated ‘Chicken Out' route. If all you want to do is support a worthy cause and help us to continue to provide this event, you are always welcome to drop off non-perishable food items.”

Carola says the Little family sends, “A great big thanks to the multitude of volunteers and family and friends that have come out to make this all possible again this year. Families travel from as far away as Gravenhurst and Keswick every weekend, and during the week, to help set up and create this event. Local friends put in hours and hours of building, costuming, sourcing, cooking and creating. Without their combined help, we wouldn't have been able to make the event what it is today. Our appreciation for them is unequivocal – with well over 1000 man hours in the weeks leading up to the first scare. Their love and passion for this holiday are what help carry us toward even bigger and better scares.”