The leaves may not have changed yet, and the temperature is still high, but Halloween is just around the corner. There are over 25 attractions and activities within a two-hour drive from ETSU that are guaranteed to get you into the Halloween spirit all month long. Whether you prefer to be scared to your core or enjoy a relaxing night outdoors, there are plenty of ways to get your spook on.
“The thing I look forward to the most every year is going to Fender’s Farm,” said Keith Johnson. “I always find myself going three or four times before Halloween.”
Fender’s Farm is one of the most well-known attractions in the area and offers over 50 activities at its location in Jonesborough. 2018 marks the farm’s fifteenth year in operation. During the day, expect a calmer experience as you wander through a seven-acre corn maze. Once night falls, the farm comes alive with horrors that can only be imagined. Surviving the Field of Screams isn’t the only obstacle to making it out of the farm alive, you’ll also have to face your fears as you try to escape from the Insane Inn and Patch’s Penthouse. Haunted activities occur Friday and Saturday nights, so be sure to plan your visit in advance. Complete hours of operation and directions to the farm can be found on the Fender’s Farm Facebook page.
If seeing your worst nightmares in front of your face is too much to handle, Real to Reel Theater’s Friday Fright Nights offers an alternative to traditional live action haunts.
“I love horror movies, so I try to attend every Friday Fright Night,” said Adam Birchfield. “They show the best classic horror movies, and it’s great to see them on the big screen.”
Friday Fright Night hosts two classic horror films with an admission price of only $5 per movie. The first showing of the evening begins at 7:15 p.m. and is closely followed by a second film at 9:30 p.m. For a full list of showtimes and films, visit www.reeltoreeltheater.com.
While most of the Halloween haunts in the area are purely fiction, there are tales of real haunted locations in the Tri-Cities. One such example is exit 27 on Interstate Highway 26, known as Okolona Road. Legend has it that a traveling couple broke down on the exit. One of the travelers got out of the car and began to push it up the hill, when a car appeared out of nowhere and killed the couple. If you park your car at the bottom of the exit and shift into neutral, it is rumored that the ghosts of the couple will push your car up the hill ,and handprints will appear on the windows of your car. The validity of this story is often debated among people in the Tri-Cities, but only those with the strongest will power dare to test the claim.
With only two weeks left until Halloween, one thing is for certain: The time to experience the haunts of the Tri-Cities is now.
