17 minute read
Eastern
Go, Do, See - Sweet Valley Ranch
Sweet Valley Ranch has brought four attractions to the community and surrounding areas. It is owned and operated by Fred and Anita Surgeon. Fall fun features a 10-acre Corn Maze that includes a pumpkin patch. Stick around for nightfall for the thrill of Backwoods Terror Ranch where the farm is transformed into a frightening adventure sure to elicit some screams!
Backwoods Terror Ranch is one of the largest outdoor Haunted events and most terrifying attraction in the area. It will take guests over an hour to navigate six terrifying mazes including a ¼ acre cemetery.
Admission includes: The 10acre corn maze, hay bale maze, hay ride, Tiny’s Game Court, multiple inflatables including a water slide weather permitting, kiddie train track ride, Sky Fighter, Rockin’ Tug Boat, and an animal meet and greet area.
Tickets are available for two time slots: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or 2 p.m.- 6 p.m. Guests can arrive any time during the time slots. However, to get the full benefit, you are encouraged to arrive at least two hours prior to the end of the time slot.
Go kart, train, and farm tours are available on a first come, first serve basis and are not included in the price of admission. These tours can only be purchased on site. Guests can also purchase souvenir photos, pumpkins, face paintings, carnival games, dinosaur rides, train rides, and corn cannon games. For your convenience, the gift shop and concession stand will be open.
Sweet Valley Ranch has strong roots in agriculture, livestock, dog breeding and other aspects of farming. The Surgeons have relied on their roots in agriculture, vast business experience and love for animals to develop a farm that the entire community and surrounding areas can enjoy.
Sweet Valley Ranch uniquely features exciting seasonal adventures for the whole family. Yearly seasonal events at the ranch include Dinosaur World in the sumer months. At the end of the year, guests can come and enjoy their Festival of Lights. “Our horrifying attractions bring visitors from near and far!” said the owners on their website. “Are you brave enough to survive? Be Prepared to Be Scared!” Backwoods Terror Ranch is located on 350 acres just off HWY 95 in Fayetteville, Each of the events features their many varieties of farm animals to create a truly oneof-a-kind experience that people of all ages can enjoy.www.sweetvalleyranchnc.com.
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Huntersville, NC – Located just north of Charlotte, NC is a village where imagination, fantasy, and history burst to life. It is a place where adults can feel and act like children while children are treated as royalty. It is a magical realm where you will forget about your daily cares. It is the Carolina Renaissance Festival and Artisan Marketplace -operating 8 consecutive Saturdays and Sundays, October 2 through November 21, 2021.
Fairhaven Village
It is the 16th century and The Renaissance Festival’s story-book village is Fairhaven; a peaceful shire filled with charming cottages, castles, kitchens and pubs, all nestled amongst 245 acres of beautiful fall forest. It is within the village walls of Fairhaven where pleasure and celebration rule the day as villagers, artists, craftspeople, musicians, performance troupes, and food vendors have all gathered together to create a marketplace festival in celebration of the arrival of their visiting Queen.
Immersive Theatre
With trumpets blaring and cannon blasting, The Lord Mayor orders the gates of Fairhaven to swing open at 10:00 am and close at dusk. The day is filled with an abundance of attractions appropriate for all age groups, presented upon 16 stages, each packed with a unique mix of continuous music, dance, comedy shows, and circus entertainments. From barely balanced acrobats to one-of-akind old-world musical instruments, the entertainment options are endless. The stage shows are always spontaneous, and you can take part in the action if you wish – or sit back and enjoy watching the audience volunteers who make a spectacle of themselves. You will never know what happens next, on stage or off.
The entertainment also takes place right in front of you within the village streets as a costumed cast of medieval commoners, knights, and royalty celebrate a 16th century day of play. Part of the Renaissance Festival experience is meeting and interacting with the colorful characters roaming the village, creating an interactive street theater. Musical fairies and lively woodland sprites embody childlike innocence. Close up magicians amaze and amuse. Wonderful statuary comes to life. There is even a walking tree! You can take audience with the Queen or mingle with peasants who endlessly proclaim… “Hip Hip Huzzah!” - all part and parcel of the Festival day.
The Renaissance Festival would not be complete without a depiction of one of the grandest events of the time period – the popular tournament Joust! Occurring three times daily, each joust is full of pomp, pageantry, action, comedy, and chivalry as noble
knights strap on heavy suits of armor and mount two tons of snorting steeds. With plumes waving and chain mail clanking, they take up their lances and charge at one another in tilt. Shattering lances, clashing swords, and daring deeds of bravery all collide into a realistic recreation of a joust to the death! All for the Queen’s amusement!
From gallant knights to the marvels of the vast ocean, the Lord Mayor outdoes himself once again in a bid for the Queen’s favor with a personal gift - the return of the Living Mermaids - Fairies of the Sea! These beautiful sirens frolic about in a 3,000-gallon aquarium! Children love watching the underwater flips, blown bubble hearts, and splashing tails. Families can sit together atop the mermaid throne for a meet and greet photo experience.
Inspired by the joust? Try your skill with a lance on the Slider Joust challenge game. You can storm the castle in a paintball battle or try to solve the riddle of climbing Jacob’s Ladder. Mix skillful pleasure and comic adventure by throwing tomatoes at the insulting fools locked in the stocks at Vegetable Justice. Test your skill at games like the Dragon Climbing Tower, the Archery Range, and the Maze. Fly high into the sky on the Pirate’s Assault Catapult. Take a ride on Christopher Columbus’ Voyage to the New World, the Piccolo Pony (a rocking horse bigger than an elephant), and Leonardo’s Flying Machine; a people powered amusement ride based on Di Vinci’s designs for human flight. A family favorite is Mother (and Father) Goose brought to life with their costumed ducks and geese, the Petting Farm, and Camel rides.
Did you work up an appetite perusing all the shops and enjoying all the entertainment? You will be pleased to know that the food is as spectacular as all the attractions. Village kitchens cook up an endless feast of bread bowl stews, steak-on-a-stake, gourmet sausages, and the festival’s famous giant roasted turkey legs. Gluten free and vegetarian options are also available. For dessert, try the fresh crepes, the cakes and cookies from the Monks Bakery, candy delights from the Chocolate Shoppe, Italian ice, gelato, and a favorite of all renaissance wanderers: a bag of cinnamon-roasted almonds. Festival pubs offer a wide variety of craft beer, wine, champagne, ale, honey mead, soft drinks, and Medieval Margaritas.
Early holiday shoppers can peruse over 140 craft shops in an open-air village market which provides a diverse selection of handmade items such as pottery, jewelry, perfume, glass blown ornaments, ceramics, bath & body products, medieval costumes, hand carved candles, unique musical instruments, children’s toys, a full spectrum of clothing, and much more. Watch artisans make a masterpiece right before your eyes. Enjoy demonstrations of fine skills such as weaving, woodcarving, blacksmithing, glassblowing, pottery, and jewelry making – all using ancient skills and low technology.
The Carolina Renaissance Festival is open to the public for eight weekends from Oct. 2 through Nov. 21. Regular tickets are $27 for adults, $17 for ages 5-12, and four and under are always free. Avoid box office lines by printing your own tickets or send them to your mobile device. There is no charge for parking. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www. carolina.renfestinfo.com/
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Haunted Thoroughbred Country
Just east of Augusta, Georgia, along I-20 between Atlanta and
Charleston are the rolling hills of Thoroughbred Country, South Carolina. This four-county part of the Palmetto State is filled with world-renowned horse racing, training and tracks, Civil War sites, gardens and plantation homes, state parks, historic healing springs, folk art and antique shops in charming towns. Thoroughbred Country’s epicenter is Aiken, developed in the early 1900s as a “Winter
Colony” for the rich and famous, who introduced the traditions of polo and thoroughbred racing.
Soak in nature’s restorative power at Aiken State Park where visitors can bring canoes or kayaks and glide along the 1.7-mile glistening trail winding down the south fork of the Edisto River. Enjoy free admission to the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and
Museum, as well as concerts, culture and dining. Year-round golf can be played on courses frequented by current, past and future greats.
Dining ranges from chef-refined and down-home Southern specialties, family restaurants, international cuisine and the unique find of a Mennonite bakery. Tailored Tours of Aiken–Haunted Aiken
Haunted secret passages in the Old Post Office, bones in the basement. In the former 1878 Aiken Hotel, phenomena include shadowy movements, whispers, crying and screaming from empty rooms, where toilets flush and doors open or close. Housekeeping carts found down the hall when left outside a room. These hauntings and more are included on a spooktacular nighttime walking tour offering chilling stories of spirits combined with Aiken’s history. Ghost hunting tools aid in the discovery. Tours are arranged and tailored individually. Family-friendly. Masks preferred. Limit 10 people. Year-round, including historic city tours. The Haunted Aiken tour is $15 per person. Learn more, here or call (803) 295-3870. Haunted Lodging at Annie’s Inn
You don’t have to wait for Halloween to visit a haunted destination in Aiken. You can even stay overnight at one. Built more than 160 years ago before the Civil War, Annie’s Inn was confiscated by the Union soldiers. During a battle against the South, a cannonball took out the whole third floor, which was never rebuilt. Later, the 2nd floor was used as a hospital and many died there. It was opened in 1984 as Annie’s Inn Bed and Breakfast, now redecorated to its grand inviting antebellam style. Guests have reported the lingering spirit of a little girl on the second floor. If you’ve never spent the night in a haunted house, then this could be a great place to ease your way into it. For more on places to go, thing to do and people to see, visit TbredCountry.org.
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PHILADELPHIA - Located between Knoxville and Chattanooga, Loudon County is known as the less-congested Lakeway to the Smokies, full of fall color, beautiful scenery and a multitude of outdoor water and mountain activities. It’s the best of both worlds: close to the park while staying on the lakes and rivers in cabins far from the madding crowd.
Nightfall Acres is a working family farm with harvest delights like pre-picked pumpkins and cornstalks for sale, but the biggest draw is after dark. Celebrating its “Lucky 13th” year in business, Dead Man’s Farm enjoys many “Best Haunted Attraction” accolades, including USA Today’s 2019 “10Best Reader’s Choice Awards. They’re back in the “10 Best” contest in 2021, with voting closing Monday, August 30. Each year the sprawling attraction adds new twists and themes to the frightening fun. Scream your way through the revampedevery-year Haunted House Tour, with its story line of atrocities acted out in vivid detail. Face down evil clowns in a three-acre corn maze, be buried alive in a sensory coffin simulator, choose from four Face Your Fear Virtual Reality experiences and three horror-based escape rooms. Inside is not recommended for children under 12. Outdoor midway entertainment includes excitement for those more into freaky fun and less into fear, with performer photo opps. Open Thursday through Sunday every weekend in October. For more information, visit www.DeadMansFarm.com If You Go: In a state full of fall color and made for road trips, Loudon County, in east Tennessee, is golden. With the Smoky Mountains creating a backdrop for kayaking, boating and fishing on Tellico Lake or the Tennessee River, visitors can enjoy scenic drives, stunning sunsets and trademark misty mornings. Located between Knoxville and Chattanooga, Loudon County’s Highway 321 is the most scenic and least congested route to the Smokies from I-75 and I-40 East. Lenoir City and Loudon each have unique boutiques, antiques and dining spots. Near Loudon is the oldest family winery in the state, Tennessee Valley Winery. Sweetwater Valley Farm in Philadelphia demonstrates cheese and milk-making, offers tastings and a farm store. www.VisitLoudonCounty. com
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A Spirit Tour With “Haint” Mistress
ABINGDON - Founded in 1778, Abingdon is one of the oldest English-speaking settlements west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, two hours northeast of Asheville, North Carolina. Abingdon lies between the soaring peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Great Appalachian Valley, offering breathtaking fall color. Many ghosts are entrenched within its perfectly-preserved Federal, Victorian and Colonial architecture. It’s a town to fall in love with, in spite of—or because of—its haunted history.
Haint Mistress Donnamarie Emmert has been sharing stories of Abingdon’s “haints” for 20-plus years. With a Masters in storytelling and a love of eerie history, she takes visitors down the brick sidewalks of the Historic district where colorful fall scenery and shivery stories abound. Historic courthouse legends include a mysterious murder weapon disappearing act and a ghost that physically reacts to change. The landmark 1930s Barter Theatre entertains thespian ghosts (don’t be the last one out of the building). The Tavern, established in 1779, serves up German specialties, seafood, steaks—and spirits, including murdered card players, dead soldiers and one lively Tavern Tart. While the luxury accommodations at the four-star Martha Washington Hotel and Day Spa inspire peaceful sleep, its long service as a private residence, women’s school and makeshift Civil War hospital carry haunted history. Hear tales of apparitions floating down stairs, haunting violin music and a bloodstained library floor.
A Spirit Tour With “Haint” Mistress
Abingdon Spirit Tours with the Haint Mistress, Downtown Abingdon, Virginia. Check the website for dates, times and meeting spots. Year-round Haints or History tours by appointment. Haunted tours, no younger than age 10. HaintMistress.com
If You Go: Abingdon’s 20-block Historic District is filled with art galleries, distinctive shops and 34 independently-owned restaurants. For nearby and unique fall color viewing, the Virginia Creeper Trail offers elevated mountain and valley views from one of the country’s best rails-to-trails. Hike the Appalachian Trail, see wild ponies at Grayson Highlands State Park and navigate natural geological mazes at The Channels Natural Area. www.VisitAbingdonVirginia.com.
Journalists: For more stories for every season, as well as downloadable photos go to https:// www.travelmediapressroom.com/ virginia/abingdon-virginia/
Wytheville, Virginia: Helheim Haunted Attraction
Head high into the Blue Ridge section of the Appalachians to Wytheville in Southwest Virginia, at the crossroads of I-77 and I-81, 2.5 hours from Charlotte, North Carolina. Wytheville (ca. 1790; pronounced WITH-vil) is an off-the-beaten track getaway with unique in-town attractions, breathtaking mountain scenery and activities from fly-fishing and watersports to horseback riding and wilderness adventure.
Helheim Haunted Attraction promises to “put the evil in Wytheville,” with a scare-youto-death vibe. Two enthusiastic veterans took their 20-plus years of experience and created an over-the-top thrill-a-thon in an old 6,000-square-foot amusement park. The result is top ratings on sites like www.TheScareFactor. com. Actors are meticulous about makeup, costumes and special effects, which comes across in authenticity and thrills in this postapocalypse-meets-Viking-themed attraction. Helheim is the Norse word for hell, land of the dishonorable dead, but the owners won’t reveal the delicious chills in store. They do hint at playing upon the psychological fears of a lack of control over surroundings and the loss of sight, direction and sound. Not intended for anyone under age 18. Fridays and Saturdays, September 24-October 30, 2021. Helheim Haunted Attraction, just off of I-81/I-77 at exit 77, 3081 Chapman Road, Wytheville, Virginia 24382, (276) 239-2666; www. HelheimHaunt.com
If You Go: Wytheville’s classic downtown includes the old, the contemporary and the quirky, like the selfie-worthy “biggest pencil in Virginia” outside the old Wytheville Office Supply. Just three miles from downtown, Crystal Springs Recreation Area and Big Survey Wildlife Management Area offer more than 9,000 acres of preserved lands, 13 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. A 57-mile trail, canoeing, tubing, kayaking and fishing are all favorites at the New River Trail State Park. Climb the 100-foot Big Walker Lookout at Big Walker Mountain for views of five states at an elevation of 3,405 feet. For more information, www.VisitWytheville.com.
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THE RESORT AT GLADE SPRINGS ANNOUNCES ITS 12TH YEAR OF FRIGHT NIGHTS WITH BRAND NEW THEMES AND EVENTS
DANIELS - The Resort at Glade Springs announces two new themes and new events for its 12th annual Fright Nights event happening Friday and Saturday nights throughout October. The first of the two new themes is titled “Camp Kilamee”, a 1980s style sleepaway camp that would fit perfectly into any horror classic from the era. The second of the two new themes is “Hexed”, a haunt taking place deep in the bayou where an ancient voodoo plague has been set upon the living and the dead. Visitors will twist through the cursed mansion and its crypt as dark mysterious forces play with their imagination.
In addition to the the new themes, the haunt will host a Fall Festival on Sunday, October 10th from 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. With admission to this event, families can enjoy a walk through Fright Nights Lite (a lighter, daytime version of the haunted house) and a fall hayride. Inflatables, face painting, food, drinks and Fall vendors will be at the event. On Sunday, October 31st a special “Lights Out” event will take place at the haunt where patrons will be given a glow stick and will brave the haunt in total darkness.
“Every year we look to improve upon what we’ve been building over the last 12 seasons and this year is no different.” says Ashley Long, Creative Director at The Resort at Glade Springs. “The Halloween season is something that many look forward to every year and we feel an obligation
All the Ghosts and Gobins at Glade Springs Resort
to give our community the fresh, exciting experience they’re seeking. That’s why we’ve created two new themes and will host two additional events with our Fall Festival and Light Out Night. These events give haunt goers a little something more to fill their Halloween season with fun.” This year will feature five total themes creating one spectacular attraction: The aforementioned “Camp Kilamee” and Hexed”, last year’s new addition “Ghost Town”, the spine-tingling, multi-sensory spectacle “Freakshow”, and the terrifying trip through an institution for the criminally insane titled “The Asylum”.
Fright Nights WV will be limiting on-property persons capacity to enable adequate distancing at all times. Open every weekend in October, tickets are $28 per person. Fast Pass tickets are $40. All tickets must be purchased online prior to the event.
More information about Fright Nights can be found at frightnightswv.com.
About The Resort at Glade Springs: The hotel and resort are set in the midst of a gorgeous 4,100-acre property in the lap of the Appalachian Mountains! Our premier, full-service West Virginia resort, specializes in golf, ski, and offers a mindboggling variety of other recreational activities, as well as 200 lodging rooms for guests in West Virginia. The resort features a state-of-the-art conference center, a beautiful wedding venue and group lodging facilities for meetings and family reunions. On site are three championship 18-hole golf courses, an indoor leisure center, full-service spa and salon, boating, miles of hiking and biking trails and so much more. This premier full-service resort offers a unique combination of recreational activities and upscale accommodations, making it a perfect getaway for escaping everyday life.
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