LINNEUS, Maine — Ghosts, goblins and lots of zombies were on display at the Linneus Fire Department Saturday evening as the 17th annual Linneus Haunted Hayride opened for its first of four nights of fiendish fun.
The 25-minute ride is nearly a mile in length, covering a field of almost six acres, and features roughly 40 different horror scenes. Zombies are the popular attraction of choice for the youths who serve as actors on the hayride.
Carrie Palmer, one of the event organizers, has helped put the show on for most of the 17 years. She originally got involved as she had young children who enjoyed performing in the show.
“People really get excited for this event,” Palmer said. “We draw people from all over. People enjoy being scared.”
The event typically draws between 500 and 700 people per night and between 2,500 and 3,500 annually as folks from all over Aroostook County and beyond make the trip. Students from Hodgdon, Houlton and East Grand are all involved in this year’s production.
Portions of the proceeds go to the Linneus Recreation Department, while other funds go to the student classes whose members volunteer each year. Students also can earn community service time, which is required for graduation and can earn money for their respective classes. About 63 students and 30 adults are involved this year.
A couple of rainy days leading up to Saturday’s opening night made set up a bit more difficult this year, Palmer said. A few pesky critters also did a number on the electrical lines that supply power for the many props and lights for special effects.
One of the newer scenes this year is a military-zombie attack.
“We will be out patrolling, and when the zombies attack the wagon, that is when we spring into action,” said Tom Farr, a parent from Danforth. “We have a couple of AR-15 guns with movie blanks that provide quite a bang. Halloween is my favorite time of year.”
Nate Farr, a sophomore at East Grand School, is on his third year as an actor for the hayride. “I just love doing it,” he said.
Amelia McAtee, a student at Houlton High School, brought home-made paper mache masks to create another disturbing scene for her and her friends to act out. McAtee said the masks took a bit of time to create, dry and then decorate for the event.
Additional performances take place Saturday, Oct. 20, Friday, Oct. 26, and Saturday, Oct. 27. Tickets for each evening are $7 and go on sale starting at 6 p.m. with three tractors rolling every 10 minutes. The show closes each evening at 9 p.m.
For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/linneus.maine.
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- Bonfires with spooky creatures lurking behind them are plentiful at the Linneus Haunted Hayride. Waiting to scare some folks are, from left, Abigail McAtee, Alexis Roland, Brandon Tully and Amelia McAtee.
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- Is it an animated statue or a real person? One never really knows for sure at the Linneus Haunted Hayride.
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- Getting ready for a scary good time Saturday evening are Hodgdon juniors from left, Lucas Ramsay, Autumn Ganzel and Lauren McGillicuddy at the Linneus Haunted Hayride. (Joseph Cyr)
