Fright nights

A patch of woods on the northeast edge of Dunkirk is making its annual transformation.

And it’s not for the faint of heart.

“This is our 25th year,” says Dunkirk fire chief Steve Fields as he wanders along the wooded path of the Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department’s Haunted Woods. “It’s pretty much the same set up, but it’s a little different every year.”

What Fields calls “the same set up” might scare the daylights out of you.

“We’ve had them pee their pants,” says haunted woods volunteer Tammy Lindsey.

Work on the Halloween attraction, located on county road 450 South between 1100 West and 1150 West, began in the final days of August and was ready for visitors Oct. 18. It continues Oct. 25 and 26 and Nov. 1 and 2. 

The price is $7 per person or $6 per person with a donation of a canned good for local food pantries.

Fields estimates about three dozen volunteers are involved in setting up the Halloween attraction each year, including a group of Cub Scouts and their leaders.

And when the haunted woods is open to visitors there will be some 50 to 75 volunteers on hand, some in costume and some working behind the scenes.

It takes about 40 minutes for a guided group to make its way along the path through the woods. “There are about seven stations,” says Fields.

Those include: The Pumpkin Patch, Monster Alley, The Mausoleum, The Clown House, The Maze and The Box, which has three different rooms featuring everything from zombies to a giant spider.

“The animated spider is back,” says Fields. “The last couple of years we didn’t have it.” 

Visitors go in groups, with a guide at the front of the group and one at the back of the group to make sure no one wanders off. 

“It’s a pretty good walk,” says Fields, though he admits it’s not for everybody.

“We get volunteers wherever we can get them,” he says. “We’re always needing tour guides.”

All proceeds from the attraction go to support the Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department.