Lorreine Castellanos / Roundup
Haunted houses, bloody scenes, and screams will be feared at the grand opening of the Halloween Harvest Festival which will open this weekend September 24 at the Pierce Farm Center.
The Halloween Harvest Festival is now going on its sixth season at Pierce.
Cathy McBroom, manager of the Pierce Farm Center, has been preparing for the corn-maze scaring event for the past two months.
“Auditions started in August,” McBroom said. “The last auditions are this Saturday and Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m. this week. We open September 24 and it [goes] all the way to Sunday October 31.”
In addition to organizing the maze and setting up for the festival, McBroom has also been involved in the audition process.
Actors who audition are asked to act out monsters and have props to see what improvisation they can do.
McBroom said she is looking for creativity from those who audition.
The event will offer performances, a haunted house, hayrides, farm animals, and a scary maze, all taking place under the moonlight.
“There are two different mazes,” McBroom said. “One side has creatures that jump out and scare you, while the other is walk-through corn maze.”
Over 150 employees are hired to help have the Halloween Harvest Festival run smoothly during the five-week event.
The festival is not only for Pierce students, but is also open for anyone who would like to see a performance, play some games, or walk through the mazes.
“I think it’s nice that Pierce does this event not only for students but for the community,” said Patricia Martinez, a Psychology major.
Many students are aware of the annual event and are excited to walk into the moonlit night that will be filled with anticipation, horror, and fun.
“Oh yeah, it sounds like a lot of fun…when they try to scare you,” said Lazar Ishayev, an Anthropology major.
Some students are up for the spooky event since a buddy system has been put in play for the night.
“I get so scared so fast, [so] I will go with a group of friends,” said Michelle Zavala, a Biochemistry major. “[I need] a big group because it’s fun to get a little scared.”
The Halloween Harvest Festival has captured the minds of some students who intend to bring their friends to the event too.
“[It] sounds cool,” said Jean Carlos DeQueiroz, an Engineer major. “I’ll probably check it out with a group of people.”