Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
HAUNTED — The Linneus Haunted Hayride returned this past weekend with a successful opening draw of about 800 people. And no Haunted Hayride is complete without a chainsaw wielding maniac.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
LINNEUS — When it comes to scaring up a good time, the folks who organize the Linneus Haunted Hayride are the best in the business.
The hayride, which serves as a fundraiser for the town’s recreation department, has been going on for at least 15 years, depending on who you speak to, and has become an annual fall tradition leading up to Halloween. The first two nights drew strong crowds this past Friday (300 people) and Saturday (500 people). The event continues this coming Friday and Saturday, and again Oct. 24 and 25, with the mayhem starting at about 6 p.m. Tickets cost $5.
The event typically draws between 2,500-3,500 annually and is the sole fundraiser for the Linneus Recreation Department.
“It’s a lot of fun and we’re in it for the community,” said Estela Lane, event organizer.
Lane, and her husband Mike, who is the town’s recreation director, have been involved in the hayride for as long as they can remember. They continue with the program even though their own children are now adults.
Between 65-90 people volunteered their time to put on the event this year. Many of those volunteers are students from Houlton, Hodgdon, Danforth and Haynesville who earn community service time. Students who donate their services may also earn funds for their respective classes.
Taking roughly 20 minutes to complete, this year’s hayride features plenty of startles and scares to spook visitors. Each year, organizers add something new to the ride. This year, a new “cocoon,” a stand-alone structure the ride must drive through, was erected thanks to donated materials. Spectators should also be aware of things zip lining over their heads at any given moment.
Janna White said she became involved with the program to help generate money for the town’s recreation programs.
“I have a 3- and 6-year-old so they are my driving force in doing this,” White said. “I won’t ride the ride, but I will sell tickets for it. It freaks me out too much. It’s that good.”
Weather plays a big role in the success of the hayride. Some years, the ride has been canceled on a given night due to rain, while other years they have had to shovel out the scenes because of snow.
David Beals is one of the many adult chaperones who has as much fun with the ride as the youths he is supervising.
“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “I enjoy the adrenaline. It’s always fun scaring people.”
A great deal of preparation goes into the ride each year, Mike Lane explained.
“We started setting up three weeks ago, but we have been in the planning stages for the last three months,” he said. “We have a lot of community support for this event. Everyone pitches in and helps.”
Mike Lane said the ability to put on youth programs through the recreation department is a direct result of money brought in from the hayride.
“Our goal from the beginning was to try to make the recreation department self-sufficient,” Lane said.
Food, provided by The Bus, is available for purchase at the Recreation Department building. Souvenir T-shirts can also be purchased.
For more information on the Haunted Hayride, check out Facebook or log on to www.linneusrec.com.
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| Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr GHOULISH — Kassy Jackman of Amity and Maggie Lafond of Houlton are ready for action in their zombie makeup. |
Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr SCARY BUNCH — Students from Hodgdon High School stand ready to pounce. |
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| Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr CREEPY SCENES — You never know what you will come across at the Linneus Haunted Hayride … like alien crash landings. |
Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr WOLFMAN — Is the “Wolfman” real or animatronic? No one is saying. |
