Hundreds visit this local haunted forest. ‘Somewhere along the way you lose your soul’
This is the last week to get spooked on the Key Peninsula at Grand Farms.
Each year Anni Grandia Dodson and Mark Dodson turn their Vaughn property into a haunted forest for visitors to walk — or run through.
My Haunted Forest is in its last week of scares for the season at 17616 S. Vaughn Road NW. It’s open 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Sunday. Saturday and Sunday it’s open 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Tickets are available at https://myhauntedforest.com/buy-tickets/.
At twilight each night the actors get into character, dressing up and applying makeup before they spread out in the forest, waiting to pop out at the perfect time.
The haunted forest trails that hundreds of people walk through each fall are actually part of a horse cross country course. Grand Farms is an equine training facility on 27 acres the Dodsons own.
Mark Dodson is the mastermind behind the idea for the forest. He made the trails and came up with themes, costumes and monster ideas.
This is the seventh year the forest has been open. They had over 200 visitors Sunday night.
For the last few years, the staff has been dedicated to a medieval theme.
“It’s grown so much over the years,” Kendra Zartman, production manager, told the Gateway Sunday night. “We used to have a queen, but we killed her and now her sister reigns the forest.”
Think of it as “the forest of no souls,” she said. “We want the idea to come across that you come in, go through the front gate and somewhere along the way you lose your soul.”
Rain or shine, the 50 actors, makeup artists, costume creators, and leadership team at the forest are scaring every weekend in October.
“Although it’s grown, it’s actually become easier to manage with the large staff we have now,” Mark Dodson, founder and CEO, told the Gateway Sunday. “Our computer science engineer has really taken a hold of the forest. He goes through wanting things to sound a certain way, acted a certain way, lit a certain way.”
It was wild the first few years when it was mostly him putting it together, Mark Dodson said.
Expect an all outdoor experience with jump scares from actors and from animatronics. The faintly lit trails take you through twists and turns, bridges, water and fire features, spiders and webs.
“The water feature is actually part of the horse’s cross country course, but becomes part of the haunted forest for the season,” Mark Dodson said. “The horses are supposed to run into it and jump out of it during competition, maintaining forward motion at all times.”
The staff has taken away the chain saws, but look out for the fire breathing dragon.
“What do we want? Souls. What will they do? Scream!” the chant zone director, Gavin Hunt, said as he led the actors in before the gates opened Sunday night.
Although the forest trails are just over one mile, some visitors get through the forest in 15 minutes. Others take 45.
“If you’re scared and you’re hurrying, you can get through it quickly,” Zartman said. “If you want the full effect, looking at the trails and really seeing the fire and attractions, it can take way longer.”
It took a Gateway reporter about 30 minutes to walk the forest.
There is no age requirement for admission. The first hour of the forest is “low scare hour” for anyone who wants a lighter experience with no jump scares or screaming.
The actors
This year is the largest staff the forest has had, and the youngest.
“I reached out to the local high schools and drama departments to see if anyone is interested in joining our staff,” Zartman said.
Only a handful of their staff are returning actors. The majority are teenagers this year. In past years a lot of people who joined the staff had experience working at renaissance fairs.
The team at My Haunted Forest is made up of volunteers, paid actors, and interns.
“With our internship program, high school students can work in the department of their choice (IT, costumes, makeup, acting, set design), spending half the month as interns and the other half paid actors,” Zartman said.
Carter Dodson, 6, is the son of the owners and part of the acting team. He’s also known as the forest’s “imagineer,” because he comes up with new scenes.
“I scared someone and they said they peed their pants,” Carter Dodson told the Gateway.
Zartman said that meant he was doing his job.
Other activities the last week of October
Giant Pumpkin Carving: Oct. 28, Professional carver Russ Leno returns to his annual pumpkin carving display, 10 am. to 4:30 p.m. in the Uptown Gig Harbor Pavillion.
Rattle Dem Bones: Oct. 30 there’s a Halloween-themed cycling event and costume contest for riders of all ages from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 6808 Kimball Drive. Visit gigharborfoundation.org/rattle-dem-bones for more information.
Trick or Treating: The Gig Harbor Downtown Waterfront Alliance hosts “Trick or Treat in the Harbor” on Oct. 31 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., for people to trick or treat at downtown businesses along Harborview Drive. Uptown hosts their Trick or Treat “Spooktacular” event, Oct. 31 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. throughout Uptown businesses.
Oktoberfest: Gig Harbor’s craft breweries are celebrating this month, including Gig Harbor Brewing, 7 Seas, Wet Coast, Locust Cider and Dunagan Pub & Brewery, The Beer Vault (Purdy) and Hop Pharm (downtown).
This story was originally published October 24, 2022 at 6:00 PM.
