Los Angeles Haunted Hayride
Every October Griffith Park transforms into a place of nightmares as it becomes home to the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, one of the most popular Halloween attractions in Southern California. The masterminds behind the haunt, Ten Thirty One Productions, led by Melissa Carbone, live and breathe horror 365 days a year. This month they are celebrating ten years of horrific hayrides, and are not holding back on the horror during this anniversary milestone. You must check your fear at the door.
When you make your way onto the hay-strewn grounds, into the eerie orange glow of hundreds of ghostly jack-o-lanterns, you will find yourself in Purgatory, a haunted village overrun with demons and monsters who just can't wait to torment you. Here you will find psychics scattered around in their own private tents if you wish to know your (un)fortune. There are a few Carn"Evil" games you can play, and at the center of it all is a Scary-Go-Round, with skeletal creatures you can ride backwards into the night.
Purgatory is also where you can experience one of my favorite things at the Haunted Hayride - Theatre Macabre. The talented, and hilarious, hosts will invite members of the audience up on stage to recreate scenes from classic horror movies. This short show not only offers you the chance to step into your favorite horror scene, but is also a nice change of pace from all the panic and terror around you. Do not leave Griffith Park without checking them out.
Back this year are the delightfully demonic Trick-or-Treat tents, where you will come face to face with creepy creatures as you knock on their doors in search of sweets. This will make you rethink the good memories you have of going door to door as a child. Don't expect to come away with too many treats though, as the tricks are the star of the show in this experience.
There is also the House of Shadows, also known as the Dark Maze, and boasts to be Southern California's only true labyrinth maze. This one takes a lot of courage, especially if you're afraid of the dark as it will leave you lost in the blackness trying to find your way out. This particular maze is easily one of the scariest you will find in Los Angeles, and one of the only ones I can honestly say I'm truly afraid of.
All of these scary adventures should lead you to the Haunted Hayride, which this year takes fans down memory lane, whether or not we want to relive those memories. Bringing back fearful favorites from the past ten years, expect to encounter every demon, monster, ghost, clown, and terror you can imagine. You and a small group will be escorted onto a hay-packed tractor trailer and taken through the abandoned zoo that once called Griffith Park home, a lonely and desolate place, especially by the light of the moon. During your ride you will come face to face with creepy inhabitants waiting around every dark corner and they are not afraid to get up close and personal with the riders. For returning fans, some favorites to look for are last year's popular "Through the Eyes of a Child," "The Rift," and my personal favorite, "The Congregation." There will also be plenty of new scary surprises making the ride one of the best yet!
Carbone and her team know how to do horror right, and this year invite us all to embrace this frightening celebration of madness and chaos. So, if you haven't done so yet, make your way over to the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride and let it become a Halloween tradition.
The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride runs through Oct. 31 at Griffith Park, located at 4730 Crystal Springs Ave in Los Angeles. For tickets and information visit www.losangeleshauntedhayride.com