A scary good time at Linneus Haunted Hayride

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
WELCOME TO THE SHOW — The Linneus Haunted Hay Ride will put on two more nights of macabre fun this Friday and Saturday at the Linneus Sno Sports Club.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
LINNEUS — If spooky scenes of horror and things that go bump in the night are your cup of tea, then the Linneus Haunted Hayride is the place for you.
    Now in its 13th year, the Haunted Hayride has grown dramatically over the years. The event began as a short ride with one wagon through the fields of Linneus. Two additional wagons have been added, but demand is still such that patrons are encouraged to arrive early to ensure they get a chance to see the show.
    Last year, the ride drew about 3,000 people over the three weekends and netted nearly $9,000. On its first weekend this year, one of the two nights was cancelled due to the weather, but they still managed to pull in 743 people on one night.
    Portions of the proceeds go to the Linneus Recreation Department, while other funds go to the student classes that participate each year. This year, actors from Houlton High School’s sophomore, junior and senior classes are participating in the event.
    “We have different groups each year who want to participate,” Carrie Palmer said. “We try to spread it around as much as we can. We give a donation for their class for their efforts.”
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
TABLE MANNERS — Meghan Hebert, left, and Kayla Doughty are ready to scare visitors to the Linneus Haunted Hayride.
    The 26-minute ride is nearly a mile in length covering almost six acres and features roughly 40 different horror scenes. Scenes range from startling sounds coming from the dark forest to full-blown actor presentations of famous horror movies such as chainsaw wielding maniacs, witches flying overhead and plenty of blood and gore.
    “We allow the kids to have a little bit of creative freedom with what they do,” Palmer said. “It’s interesting to see what they come up with.”
    Among the new scenes found this year include a human jack-in-the-box, a “Children of the Corn” scene, as well as a hangman’s gallows, complete with a live actor dropped from a noose.
    Mike Lane, Linneus recreation director, said each year they get about 20-30 new people who volunteer to spend time in the woods for three weekends. Those new people often bring in new ideas.
    “You have to have all of the usual stuff,” Lane said. “There has to be cemeteries and psycho clowns and the un-dead. Then there are the other odd things people bring to the table.”
    “All of the students who come out here have to have an adviser with them,” added Estella Lane, a volunteer for the event. “There also has to be an adult chaperone for every three students.”
    Roughly 150 volunteers, most of them students, help put the event together this year. Volunteer duties range from actors for the various scenes to make-up specialists to wagon drivers. Over the past two years, the Haunted Hayride has pumped $8,500 in the town’s Little League field; plus sponsor the Little League teams, as well as giving a donation to Camp Kieve.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
TOMBSTONES GALORE — The Linneus Haunted Hayride features a number of spooky scenes.
    The Linneus Haunted Hayride will have two more nights of shows Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29. The first wagon leaves at 6:30 p.m. The ride costs $5 per person and is not recommended for small children due to the graphic nature of some of the scenes. Refreshments are also available inside the Linneus Sno Club. For more information, visit the Linneus Haunted Hayride page on Facebook.