26 October, 2023
Friday October 27 - Sunday, October 29th
6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
MetroWest YMCA | 45 East St, Hopkinton
Last year, HCA added the Haunted Trail to its weekend of fundraising events. Kelly Grill, HCA Executive Director and the brainchild for the event, wanted to take on the challenge of creating a spooky interactive experience through the trails behind the Middle School.
Kelly Grill noted, "A small band of creative people, led by the talented Dawn Anderson, got together last year to pull off an amazing first attempt at producing this type of event. It ended up being so popular that we knew we had to go even bigger this year. More importantly, last year's event is where I met a dynamo named Marie Laskowsky."
Marie answered the call for artists to create a scene for last year's haunted trail. Her creativity, energy and passion for the project made her a natural leader to spearhead this year's event.
One of the first things Marie and Kelly decided was to approach the MetroWest YMCA. After sharing their ideas, HCA and Metrowest YMCA enthusiastically agreed to partner and move the event to the YMCA grounds and ropes course. Laskowsky noted, "It's a much better location because people can enter and exit from the same location. As soon as I saw the wooded area, the ideas for the town really started flowing!”
YMCA’s Director of the Outdoor center Bartt Pinchuck jumped on board in his first few weeks of employment and has been an incredible partner. Grill said, "Bartt has embraced all of our ideas and supported us through the process every step of the way. His creativity and calming presence have been key to our success".
The Haunt’s theme is Deadwoodville, defined as where people live after they die. The experience is a guided tour through the town where characters will come to life. Visitors will learn who they are, what they do and how they live in the town.
“The Haunt will truly be a theatrical experience filled with live, local actors, an entire haunted village taking place in, around and on our ropes course, and will feature plenty of zombies and many fun, spooky scenes,” said Peter Waisgerber, chief development officer at the YMCA.
Grill said visitors can look forward to 12 unique scenes, including a toy store with creepy dolls a jail, town hall and more!
The Haunt is the result of months of creative planning and collaboration. A key collaborator is Mark Mercer of Underpressure Power Washing and Holiday Lighting. Mark who is also the sponsor of our Monster Mash on 10-28 and who lit up the HCA last year will “light us up again! This time in the woods of Deadwoodville!”
We are also grateful to our Haunt Sponsors Eversource, Webster 5, Granite Partners, Campos Homes, Verdant Engraving and MetroWest Credit Union. We are so grateful for the support!
Grill notes, “We really wanted to create something that was not a typical "jump scare" haunt, but rather a clever interactive experience with a real storyline."
Proceeds raised from ticket sales will support both HCA and MetroWest YMCA.
To Reserve Ticket: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/hopkintoncenterforthearts/996009
