Ah, Halloween. ’Tis the season for pumpkin spice and cinnamon-encrusted pinecones. It’s the time of year when children get to dress up as nearly whatever they want and are offered mounds of sugary goodness from neighbors and strangers alike.
Every year, people enact traditions whose origins we don’t really care about. Do kids really need a reason to dress up as a pirate and eat chocolate?
No. They don’t.
However, maybe this year parents want to do something different. Sometimes handing out candy and carting sweet little Elsas and Spidermen around the neighborhood gets a little old. Maybe your kids are older, or maybe your family is ready for something … intriguing.
Here are four activities, off the radar to many, that can complement or replace your normal Halloween fun.
Asylum of the Dead
It was less than five years ago when Tammie Barbee struggled to get trick or treaters. Her home on The Esplanade has ample parking but is a little out of the way for your average candy seeker.
Candy was not a good enough lure for the little monsters and witches. That’s why Barbee decided to create the Asylum of the Dead.
This year’s story goes like this: Barbee and her husband recently purchased a house and began making renovations. They discovered pretty quickly there was an infestation. It wasn’t rodents or roaches that crowded the halls and creeped up the walls, but demons. Barbee has managed to catch a few, but they keep getting out. See if you can make it through her haunted invention without using the safe word: pumpkin.
With around 17 rooms of thrills and chills, Barbee is able to get her yearly dose of scaring the bejeebers out of children and parents alike. There is no age limit to enter. Parents will need to decide for themselves what their kids can handle — although she’s noticed that sometimes the parents will “pumpkin out” while the kids will be just fine.
Admission is $5 for those 15 and older and $3 for 14 and younger, cash only.
This year, proceeds will be donated to the Butte Environmental Council and the Hamilton City Fire Protection District. The Asylum of the Dead is located at 3163 Esplanade. The final haunted tours will be Friday, Saturday and Halloween from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Go. There’s a “surprise” at the end.
Country Pumpkins
An oldie but goodie is Country Pumpkins near Orland. They are open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Halloween. This pumpkin patch has been around for almost 20 years.
During the day, guests have the opportunity to visit cute animals, get lost in a corn maze or pick choice pumpkins. They even have a hay pyramid with a slide. This little gem is perfect for young children and even older ones, because at night they will scare the bejesus out of anyone brave enough to make the trip Friday or Saturday.
Advertisement
Their haunted maze is for anyone 10 or older, and is open from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Maze-goers should not be wearing masks or costumes. It is recommended to bring a flashlight and wear closed-toed shoes. Admission is $10, cash only. If the maze scares the wits out of you or if you need help, you need only to tell one of the haunters and they will assist you.
Murder at the Colonia
Not interested in being chased by demons or chainsaw murderers? Perhaps listening to tales of intrigue and mystery is more up your alley.
The historic Colonia Building in Biggs will be open for Halloween. The Biggs Community Action Volunteers are hosting “Murder at the Colonia” Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
On Halloween night the event will be accompanied by a Trunk or Treat in which participants decorate the trunks of their vehicles or truck beds and offer candy to children. There are prizes for whoever has the best decorated trunk. Setup for the contest will begin at 5 p.m. Streets will be blocked off after 5:45 p.m. on the 31st.
Trunk or treat will be free but admission to the Colonia is $2. Funds will be used to help beautify the city of Biggs. The Colonia Building is located at 479 B St. in Biggs.
Zombie wrecking crew
Don’t like to be scared but still enjoy the feeling of adrenaline pumping through your veins? Maybe you prefer to entertain your family by destroying hordes of the undead, together, like Grandma would have wanted.
The Zombie Wrecking Crew in Oroville offers you this special opportunity to shoot securely mounted paintball guns from inside the wrecking bus.
It’s pricier than the events mentioned above, but even younger children may ride the zombie bus and be safe from stray paintballs.
Your last opportunity to play out your “Walking Dead” fantasy is Friday and Saturday at 4444 Pacific Heights in Oroville. The gate opens at 5 p.m. and the ride starts at dark. Questions about pricing may be answered by visiting their website at www.zombiewreckingcrew.com.
It’s like Thanksgiving dinner, but with more dead zombies.
http://www.orovillemr.com/lifestyle/20171025/four-halloween-activities-to-do-with-children-aside-from-trick-or-treating