2021 Season…

Some quick updates on the 2021 season.

As expected, things are moving very slowly this year due to ongoing Covid-19 concerns. Haunts I have heard from so far include:

  • Ames Haunted Forest – will be operating.
  • Ankeny Haunted Barn – will NOT be operating, as of an announcement they made on 9/28/2021. The City of Ankeny denied their special event permit this year.
  • Linn’s Supermarket Haunted House – will be operating.
  • ScareDSM – a new haunted house, to be added to the site soon.
  • Slaughterhouse – will be operating.
  • Tormented Souls Haunt and Scream Park – will be operating.
  • Trail of Terror – will be operating.

Other haunts are either not operating, or have not contacted DMHH to help sponsor this site and be listed here.

Site updates coming by opening haunt season the first weekend of October…

2021 Haunt Season Preview

So far, we have heard from…

  • Ankeny Haunted Barn
  • Linn’s Supermarket Haunted House
  • Slaughterhouse
  • Tormented Souls Haunt
  • Trail of Terror (Baxter)

In this list are two haunts that did not operate last season. We are off to a good start.

Initial site updates began today, but full information won’t be added until later.

Last two nights for Tormented Souls (10/29 and 10/30/2020)

There are only a few more days to get chased by clowns with chainsaws before the haunts close for the season:

Tormented Souls Haunt and Screampark will be open this Thursday (10/29/2020) and Friday (10/30/2020) night from 7pm to 11:45pm.

Remember: You do not drive to this haunt. You will abandon your vehicle and they will pick you up in their Terror Bus and drive you to the haunt location deep in the woods, far away where no one can hear you scream. . .

From their website:

Pick up the Tormented Souls Terror Bus, (if you dare) at Edgewood Park in Madrid, IA; it’s the only way to reach what lies in wait – out in the middle of no where! So hitch a ride on this scream maker with your eyes wide open in the pitch dark.

https://www.tormentedsoulshaunt.com/

Have fun!

Spooktacular fun

Although the cold temperatures kept attendance low (a hundred or so), tonight’s Saylorville Event Center Halloween Spooktacular was quite fun. There was a food truck with hot food, and a window service hot cocoa and apple cider. There were some kid’s activities, a story teller, a (for pay) fortune teller, and a cool haunted forest walk through. Let’s hope for less wind on Saturday and higher attendance.

Snow advisory

Happy Iowa October, everyone. After a light dusting of snow on Sunday morning, we are now under several inches of snow. Modern cell phones have even popped up snowfall alerts (I think that’s the first time I’ve seen that, especially using the word “squall”).

While the snow should be long gone by the time haunts open up this Thursday night (Tormented Souls adds Thursday to its operation schedule this week), the chilly temperatures are going to be with us. Though current predictions show near-80s on Thursday, the overnight low will be near-freezing. It looks like we’ll stay that way for the next week at least.

Wrap up.