Spooky events for the Halloween season

The month of October is a time of autumn, cold weather and Halloween. There are many events happening in Tacoma around this time of year dedicated to the month of Halloween.

The closest Halloween attraction to the campus is the Black Lake Haunted Asylum at Freighthouse Square in Tacoma. According to their official site, the haunted house, which used to be a morgue, runs its general admission at $15. The purchase of a fright pass is $30, which includes two visits as well as a free photo and VIP line access. There is also free parking at the event.

Another popular Halloween event is Wild Waves’ annual Fright Fest at the Enchanted Village in Federal Way. The event features three haunted houses for different age groups and the chance to get to go on rides in the dark. The doors open at 6 p.m. on Fridays and 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The park closes at 11 p.m. Tickets for the event are $22 per person and include a day park pass to enjoy the park before Fright Fest opens.

One popular Halloween attraction around the campus area is Maris Farms, which is situated outside of Tacoma in Buckley, but is just a 30-minute drive from the UWT campus. The tourist attraction, which is presented by 106.1 KISS FM, has two separate moods.

During the day, the farm features a pumpkin patch, corn maze, monster trucks and the Paintball Safari. The safari features a ride through a half–mile trail and destroy targets set up along the way. Ammunition for using one of the paintball guns is $7. The paintball safari starts at 12 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m.

During the night-time, the farm shifts into a darker mood as the corn maze turns into haunted woods. According to the Maris Farms website, the outdoor haunt “involves about one mile of trail through a haunted corn field and forest. It’s a dark, shadowy stroll filled with all the characters from our nightmares.” The woods, which are only open on weekends, open at 7 p.m. On Friday and Saturday nights, they are open until 11 p.m. On Sundays, the woods close at 9 p.m. Admission into the Haunted Woods range from $25–30 depending on the night. The purchase of a fast pass is also available for an additional $15. For more information on pricing or to purchase tickets, visit marisfarms.com/haunted-woods. The night-time also involves a flashlight maze, which the site deemed suitable for all ages. In all of October, the pumpkin patch will be open. The Haunted Woods will only be open on weekends. On Halloween night, there will be a flashlight maze. Weekday farm admission is $8 and admission on the weekend ranges from $12–17.

UW Tacoma student Deanna Green, who has visited Maris Farms, said she would never go back to the woods. “I hate being scared, so I really only enjoyed going because I went with a big group of friends! It was more like bonding time while hiding in the middle of them,” she said.

Green plans to go to the Spooner Farms Harvest Festival this year, which is another popular Halloween attraction. The farm, which is in Puyallup, has a five-acre corn maze with over three miles of paths to walk through. Admission into the corn maze is $7 on weekdays and $9 on the weekend, and the maze closes at 5:30 p.m. Spooner farms also has pumpkin patches. “It’s my favorite pumpkin farm,” Green remarks. Green really enjoys the festival, and shares, “They have the best caramel apples and popcorn. They even have a pumpkin slingshot game!”