Lines Form For Saturday Night Frights Halloween Gets Early Start At Haunted Houses, Parties

An almost full moon glared through the fog Saturday night as a group emerged from the Haunt in the Holler Haunted House at Riverwalk.

“It was all right, but I’ve seen better,” said Dallas Smith, a Central Valley High School sophomore.

Then who was doing all of the screaming? Fingers pointed in six directions, the same number of people in the group.

“That guy grabbed me,” said University High sophomore Heather Bishop, trying to defend herself.

They were among hundreds who waited about 30 minutes to walk through the dark maze of spooky characters inside the haunted house on the corner of Trent and Hamilton.

“This kind of line is what we’ve been waiting for,” said Marcia Dial, who helped organize the haunted house.

Saturday night seemed to kick off this year’s Halloween celebration. Long lines awaited people at area haunted houses. Costume rental companies were busy. And the parties began.

Several of the customers who rented costumes from A to Z Rentals were going to private parties, said assistant manager Darline Muggli.

Several night clubs and restaurants also hosted parties, as did the Wishing Star Foundation. The Northeast Community Center put on a pumpkin carving contest and penny carnival.

“Saturday seems to be almost a bigger night than (Halloween) night - for now anyway,” Muggli said.

Convicts, beer cans, river boat gamblers, Robin Hood and Maid Marian costumes are popular this year, Muggli said.

Two groups renting convict costumes also borrowed accessories with a twist.

“Everyone that has gone (as a convict) also gets a mask,” Muggli said, rattling off the likenesses of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George Bush.

“We’ve always carried the presidential type masks and the convict costumes, but this is the first year I’ve seen them go together,” Muggli said. “Maybe it’s because of the election year.”

At the Virtual Assault building, dozens shivered in the near-freezing temperatures for 10 minutes of terror inside West Valley High School’s haunted house.

Organizer Janene Forgey expects crowds to get even bigger by Halloween.

“It goes pretty well until about 10 (on Halloween),” said Forgey.

“We need to get a little silly once in awhile,” said Haunt in the Holler’s Dial. “This is about the only holiday that gives adults permission to act like little kids.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo