Spallumcheen’s Caravan Farm Theatre presents two ways to “walk the WOT” this October.
One is a highly immersive ritual experienced through headphones while taking an interactive, spectacle-filled journey through the fields and forests. The other is a performance-filled celebration.
Both events feature Kinshira, the circus performance troupe, who bring their fire spinning, stilt walking artistry to light up the nights.
For three weeks in October, audiences will explore the deepest, darkest corners of their own psyche in Sparagmos, an immersive audio experience, Oct. 11-28.
The first spine-chilling audio walk, launched in 2020 as a way to work within the PHO vaccine mandates, welcomed more than 1,000 people to the theatre over 10 days. The audience loved it so much that the company created a second sound walk, System Failure, in 2021.
“The success of System Failure has pointed the way to a whole new line of fall programming, and we look forward to exploring this immersive audio walk form over the coming years,” says Estelle Shook, artistic director, Caravan Farm Theatre. “This year, however, we are excited to return to Sparagmos since so few got to experience it. And we’re taking this opportunity to amp it up.”
And for the final night of the run, the company celebrates the return of the crowd-favourite community processional and dance party that has inspired countless screams over its 19-year history.
With hauntingly beautiful scenes and creatures lying in wait ready to terrify, the community processional draws inspiration from the nearly 60 volunteers who participate.
“We ask our volunteers for impulses and ideas, and then we look at our route and our costume and props repertoire to create a range of terrifying experiences,” says Shook. “This year, we have people with an array of exciting ideas, as well as horses and the award-winning A.L. Fortune Drumline, so we know we have the materials to put something extraordinary together.”
And, along the way, visitors are encouraged to pay their respects at the farm’s memory wall to remember the dearly departed.
“The objective is to be frightening, and if we can make people scream that’s great, but for us, Halloween is about so much more than a jump scare,” says Shook. “The autumn is a time of transition into the darkness of winter — it’s haunting and goofy, beautiful and morbid. It’s about the full range of emotions.”
After the fright-fuelled walk through the fields, guests are invited to enjoy the concession and bar and dance the night away with the Calgary funk ensemble Freak Motif before the evening culminates in the costume contest awards judged by local fashion mavens Susan Gagnon and Mandy Penner from Frugal Frocks and The Guy Next Door.
Tickets to both Walk of Terror events are available online. For more information about the Walk of Terror or to purchase tickets, visit Caravan Farm Theatre online at caravanfarmtheatre.com.
READ MORE: Armstrong serves up Thanksgiving demolition derby
READ MORE: PHOTOS: Rambo-themed carving unveiled at 40th anniversary celebration in Hope
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.