My stay at Midnight Manor started with excitement and anticipation and ended with a sigh of relief when I finally stepped out of the 3×3 ticket booth. What started as a curious inquiry about a haunted casting call turned into a four-week lesson in ticket booth contortion.
Mind Your Manor
Jason, having found haunt success in Fresno, was ready to take the spook show on the road to offer the perfect Summerween experience. The plan was that after the success in San Diego, the haunt would tour the county fair circuit. It sounded like an amazing idea, filled with nostalgia and an opportunity for Halloweenies to get their spooky fix, and honestly, who wouldn’t want to check out a summer haunt?
So the next question for me is: Is Jason more businessman or a haunter? We talked about amusement park scares and how it boils down to if you’re a Knott’s Scary Farm person or a Halloween Horror Nights person, and he answered correctly. You could tell he really enjoyed scaring, and that he was a Halloweenie. Now it was time to find the willing victims.
The sounds of hammers and saws, seeing Midnight Manor come to life, was like nothing I had experienced before. I have seen sets come together before, but not ones filled with the magic of Halloween. I was so excited to walk into the haunt, but it also made me nervous. Could this experience numb me from my love of being scared? It wasn’t something I was willing to lose. It’s one of my biggest joys, part of my love of Halloween is the scare. Was the opportunity to be part of a Summerween haunt going to be worth the risk?
Backstage and Barking
What can you expect when you say, “I would love to be part of your haunt, but I don’t want to scare people?” Still in search of my new career in Halloween, could this haunt be a first step in my future?
I have a background in media and marketing, 20 years in television production, but it was powerful projection, yelling from my booth, that was the skill they were looking for.
From my 3×3 ticket booth, I yelled at passersby:
“Get your scare at the fair!”
“First time at the fair, try something new and let us scare you!”
Meet the monsters
I found a room filled with people who were passionate and excited to be a part of this project. The group consisted of veteran scare actors and people giving it a try for the first time.
Karina had worked the fair before, but never a haunt, but once in makeup she found her voice — or should I say, scream.
Anthony was taking on his first role as a professional scare actor while preparing for his next role in My Fair Lady.
Ami, with five years at Howl-O-Scream, reminded me of who I used to be and maybe who I was becoming. She was sweet, kind, and brought treats. I remember being the treat maker, known for my cupcakes, but the search for a Halloween career left little energy for the thoughtfulness I was once known for.
Christian’s dedication to scaring brought him from NorCal to SoCal for haunt work. He was filled with energy and passion, and had no plan on how he’d make this work or where he was going. I admired his chutzpah for horror and was excited when he shared he’d be working Halloween Horror Nights this year.
Ricky played the butcher, slapping and slamming the set paired with his intense voice scared me every single time I went through the haunt.
Then there was the hungry zombie hiding in the cemetery, known to lurk the grounds of the Haunted Amusement Park in October — which has become a Halloween night tradition for me. One night, leaving Midnight Manor, he realized he didn’t know me from my Halloween screams but from the terrifying time in high school.
Love at First Fright
The monster in the Predator-esque mask was Panda. His partner, Puddles, had otherworldly movements mastered. Their names were more humorous than haunting. Panda and Puddles clowned around and fell in love. They found each other about five years ago at the Scream Zone, not far from where our haunt set up shop, and have been inducing fear together ever since. How romantic.
Unfortunately, Puddles didn’t make it through the Summerween season, leaving Panda as the top choice to come promote the haunt when it was slow. It was endearing and slightly bizarre to see toddlers walk up to him for hugs, high-fives and photos as he squeaked in his new New Rocks. A clown at heart, he always carried a concealed rubber chicken. Where he kept it, I don’t want to know.
Then there’s Kevin and Josie, the creative couple whose love story started at Six Flags. Kevin, a former facilities and construction manager, which means he’s a problem solver who can make just about anything work. While Josie’s artistic skills meant working in everything from makeup to murals. The newlyweds, whose dedication to Midnight Manor meant long days, drives, and little to no sleep. They put their business and life on hold to put their all into the haunt ’til the end.
Their know-how was impressive, but the way they looked at each other and their love was even more impressive. They exuded an energy that you could feel across the length of the fair, like love was their superpower. Half-jokingly, I said I was hoping I would find my person at the haunt, only a joke if it didn’t happen, but if I found someone who I could share the love of Halloween with, then it was serious.
Crunching on Cryptids and Fair Food
Between gas and fair food, I maybe broke even on this gig. The list is long, but rarely did I finish a dish. Instead, I would bring it home to toss out a day later.
So what did I consume during my Summerween adventure? There were Chupacabra Tasti Chips because who doesn’t want to snack on a cryptid? I don’t know if they ran out of goat suckers, but my chupacabra was actually shredded pork. I had my go-to since I was a teen: the artichoke sandwich. I also enjoyed chicken skewers, a Honeycomb ice cream cone shaped in a “J,” as well as a pineapple shrimp rice bowl and a large jalapeño cheese pretzel. I really don’t want to know the calorie count, but I took comfort in the convenience and the limited time to enjoy it.
The last day came, and instead of being sad, my contorted body was ready for the break.
As long as I could squeeze in one more scare, I would be happy, and the day was off to a good start. My morning routine had become trying to find my way into the locked building that held the haunt. It was dark, empty, and quiet with the exception of the sounds of a storm: wild wind and thunder crashes. Then I turned another corner, and the whispering started.
I made it to the room with the cash box still alive, and then I heard a bang… I wasn’t alone, my worst nightmare. I got out a nervous “Hello,” then I heard heavy footsteps, and a more panicked “Who’s there?” with no response, which was followed by my high-pitched scream that shook me to my core. It was Ary, early for his shift. Haunting for 20 years, his signature look included a baby mask, but I was the big baby that morning. After my first scare of the day, it was time to head back to my ticket booth and start selling.
It was afternoon when I looked over and saw a familiar face: Lost Boys alum, Frog Brothers actor and musician Corey Feldman, joined by his bodyguard and Adrienne Skye. I gestured to him to come over as I was trapped in my box and invited them to check out the haunt, thinking I was inviting them to a special experience.
I did my final walkthrough, taking in all the set decorations and all the scares, finally not feeling lost in the dark building. I said my goodbyes and began my trek through the dirt and farm animals when I saw Corey again. I’d had him on my morning show a couple of years ago. Not sure it helped persuade him to let me escort him through the haunt, but I got him there and then worried about his experience. Our dedicated team could make me scream, but Corey was going to be a tough audience.
He made it out alive and smiling.
Now I was really leaving, hot, sweaty, and worn out. The barking gave me all the carnival experience I’ll ever need. Yelling at crowds was tiring; writing press releases and prepping for interviews felt natural. Creating partnerships with local businesses and thinking about promotion was definitely more my speed.
Feeling ready for my next adventure, but what would the next step in my Halloween career be? Still TBD.
But first a churro, ice cream and a good night’s sleep, and dreams of dark corners, finding what lurks in the shadows and Summerween adventures.
The real question is what’s next for Midnight Manor, and that may be TBD too. I’ll be keeping an eye on Elsewhere FX to see.
If you have a Halloween adventure for me, reach out @tiffrtreat