Some eerie things happened at the Folk on the Rocks site Sunday.
A haunted house opened to the public. It was a youth-led initiative designed to raise funds for a trip to the Icelandic National Jamboree next July, said Shellie Trimble, the group commissioner for Yellowknife Scouts.
The scouts, ages 11 to 15, took the lead in creating the spooky atmosphere near Long Lake. It netted them close to $1,200 toward their goal after an estimated 300 people showed up.
“They have great ideas. They’ve built it completely themselves. They’ve designed it and built it,” said Trimble.
The group transformed their usual meeting place into a house of horrors, complete with multiple zones, darkened rooms and creepy red lighting.
“Upon entering the main area, visitors will encounter a small collection of spooky items,” said David Smith, a leader with the Yellowknife Scouts. “From there, they can choose to go right or left. The right path leads to a sensory room designed for younger visitors. This room, run by one of the Cub leaders, features a variety of tactile surprises reminiscent of schoolyard games involving ‘eyeballs’ in bowls and ‘greasy hair.’”
He added that for older visitors who choose the left path, scarier experiences awaited. These included simulated torture chambers and roaming zombies.
Smith explained that they took measures to ensure the event is suitable for all ages. For younger visitors, there was a playful area with balloons, a smoke machine and spooky music.
In addition to the haunted house, there was also food provided at the Long Lake site, such as hotdogs and s’mores.
Trimble said the initiative was originally planned as a Halloween party for younger groups, but the idea evolved when the scouts decided to attend the Icelandic Jamboree. Realizing they could use the haunted house as a fundraising opportunity, they decided to open it to the public.
Planning for the trip to Iceland began in September, making it a quick three-week turnaround to set up the haunted house.
“We were going to consider going down to Vancouver Island to the Pacific Jamboree,” Trimble explained, “but then when we heard Iceland was an option, we thought that might be a new experience.”
The Icelandic National Jamboree will take place over one week at a camp on the southern portion of the island nation. It’s expected to attract scouts from all over the world.
