DID SOMEONE SAY BOO?
Daggett Farm’s ‘Haunted Tunnel’ tuning up for Halloween with sure-to-scare attractions
PAWTUCKET — It’ll be a terrifying trek and a scream-filled saunter through the Haunted Tunnel at Daggett Farm this weekend and all through the month of October, as there will be plenty of things that go bump in the night during the venture through the Slater Park attraction.
The shrieks and screams from those who dare enter the Haunted Tunnel is music to the ears of Parks Superintendent John Blais, who has assembled a small army of volunteers since August to assemble the tunnel. Two of the volunteers, he said, are formerly from the fabled Factory of Terror, one of New England’s premiere haunted houses, and they have brought their expertise to this year’s terror-filled tunnel.
“They volunteered to help. I thought it was great. They were curious, they said they wanted to be here, they’re Pawtucket natives.,” Blais said. “It’s still all-volunteer. We have 40 volunteers this year, that’s absolutely the most ever. It’s fantastic, it’s awesome.”
“The volunteers are the best,” he continued. “There are those who get angry, and then there are those who roll up their sleeves. These teenagers are coming to do something positive, they’re helping out.”
The Haunted Tunnel at Daggett Farm opens to the public this weekend and will be providing plenty of scares on Friday and Saturday evenings through the end of the month, weather permitting. Each of those nights, the tunnel opens to the public at 6:30 p.m.
and closes by 9, and Parks officials advise arriving early, as they anticipate large crowds to begin lining up early and often, in addition to the line closure prior to 9 p.m.
Parks officials strongly recommend guests who dare enter the tunnel to be ages 12 and up, due to its creepy and downright scary content. Plenty of screams and shrieks will be heard echoing through and out of the tunnel as guests maneuver their way through the spooky, 10-minute-long trail. The harrowing trek through the terrifying tunnel will include a collection of volunteers who will be dressing up as a variety of ghastly characters seeking to put a scare in patrons.
The layout to the Haunted Tunnel changes every year, to ensure the scares stay fresh. Blais said he is particularly amazed by what he’s seen emerge from the minds of the
volunteers and onto the path through the park.
The cost to scare yourself silly inside the Haunted Tunnel is $10 per person and group discounts are not offered. Although it is sure to bring about plenty of terrified shrieks, the tunnel is done in the name of a good cause, as tickets sold will help defray the costs of operations and improvements at Daggett Farm – a “worthy cause,” Blais said.
The tunnel opened Friday night and the most common sound Blais will hear will be screams – followed by laughter from those so stunned that they could be so scared. He also joked that his screams are the ones the volunteers want to hear the most, saying “They’ll get me now during set-up. That’s their mission: to get John.”
“Oh, that’s the best,” he said. “You see the enthusiasm of the volunteers … We’d be lost without them. Some of them leave for college and want to come back for a weekend. It’s cool that they want to reconnect.”
“I’m excited to see what they bring this season...” Blais added. “There is an art to scaring … I let ‘em run with it. I enjoy seeing people be creative.”
For those not in the mood to have their hair stand on end, plenty of less frightening, more family-friendly fare will be at the park this month. The Jacko’-Lantern Village displays decorated and uniquely-carved jack-o’-lanterns, a witch’s house, and a variety of Halloween-themed surprises. This portion of the park will open to the public on Friday, Oct. 11 and the village will be open from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the pavilion at Slater Park. Admission to the village is $5 per person for ages 12 and older, with children under 12 entering for free.
Additionally, there will be plenty of activities at the Looff Carousel, which will be open throughout the month’s festivities in conjunction with the Jack-o’-Lantern Village hours on Friday and Saturday nights, from 6:30 to 8 p.m on Fridays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays. The carousel will also be open on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 27, weather permitting.
For additional information regarding the scary saunter through Slater Park, contact the Pawtucket Parks and Recreation Office at 401-728-0500, ext. 251 or visit the “Pawtucket Parks & Recreation” or “Slater Park Haunted Tunnel” pages on Facebook.
Jonathan Bissonnette on Twitter @J_Bissonnette