Fright night comes alive at West Alexander Scare at the Fair
Aliens spark the imagination at the West Alexander Scare at the Fair.
Not all clowns have a sense of humor at the West Alexander Scare at the Fair.
As the sun sets, there’s a distinct chill in the air.
Is it due to one’s blood running cold, or merely the brisk autumn weather?
This is just one of many questions that run through the minds of the intrepid visitors who brave the spine-tingling spectacle known as the West Alexander Scare at the Fair. The haunted destination has attracted visitors from miles around to the take part in the scary fun at the West Alexander Fairgrounds located at 116 Route 40 West, in West Alexander.
This is the 11th year for the attraction, and volunteers begin preparing for it when the Labor Day holiday ends.
“We’re one of the few haunts that has a tear-down concept, meaning we tear it down and rebuild it every year. It’s a pain for us, but good for our customers because they get something new every time,” said Richard Hunter, director.
This year the attraction is comprised of seven buildings, with walkways between each building.
“It’s helpful for those who want to bail quickly if they are overwhelmed,” said Hunter, adding that the haunted attraction has grown each year.
“The first year we had just two buildings and attracted between 300 and 400 people,” he said.
By year three, they added an escape room, which costs visitors an extra $5 to solve. Teams that escape the fastest will win a free ghost hunt.
“It’s grown by leaps and bounds, and now attracts between 2,500 and 3,000 people,” said Hunter, adding that, with so many buildings, it’s is no small feat to build anew each year, but having between 40 and 50 volunteers yearly certainly helps matters.
Tom Balistreri, brother-in-law to Hunter, said that he loves horror movies, particularly those created in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and has been with the project from the beginning.
“When we first started it was very slow, but now that we have so many separate buildings, it keeps people occupied,” said Balistreri, who describes the attraction as an old-school haunted house.
Balistreri explained that they use some props and animatronics, but the stars of the show are the cast of characters, which include zombies, aliens, hillbillies, ghosts and clowns — many clowns — which up the creep factor exponentially.
“We are known for our clowns,” said Balistreri, with a chuckle.
As for Balistreri, he enjoys coming back annually as Dr. Joe Bob, mad scientist, which enables him to use his improvisational talents.
“I kinda feel out the crowd. With adults, I can be a little racier. With little kids I can appear less menacing, and with smart aleck teens, I can be more sarcastic,” he said.
For a group of friends who want to make a night of it, Hunter explains that they can reserve a fire pit, and for an extra $5, they can return to experience the scary situation all over again.
Scott Gibellino, Moon Township resident and leader of Team Houdini at thescarefactor.com, said that the way the Scare at the Fair is set up is entertaining and fun, yet still scary.
“We do about 20 haunts a season and it seems like everyone does clowns, but the clowns at Scare at the Fair are legitimately crazy,” he said.
In Gibellino’s review, he describes Scare at the Fair as “a spine-tingling journey through tunnels of terror,” and the clowns as “insane, intense, chilling, crazy, corny, creepy — a multiverse of madness.”
A break from reality
Hunter said that he’s less passionate about the actual haunt than he is about the actors, explaining that the destination attracts new actors each year.
“Most are high school students who are initially very quiet when they start out working behind the scenes,” he said, explaining that as time progresses, they begin emerging from their shell and become amenable to working in more active locations.
“Eventually they take on more responsibility and end up in charge of other actors, or areas,” he said.
Hunter said that nothing makes him prouder than watching the shy, quiet kids embrace responsibility and begin to interact confidently with the guests and other staff.
“Seeing that confidence grow in those kids has got to be one of the best feelings in the world,” he said.
Hunter also views the haunt as a little break from reality.
“The world has enough strife and conflict already, so it’s nice to see others enjoying themselves, screaming, shouting, laughing and letting go for a bit as they allow us to stir up some emotions that don’t involve anger,” he said.
Scare at the Fair runs from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday through Oct. 28. Ticket sales end at 10 p.m. The entry fee is $18 for adults and $12 for ages 18 and under. For more information visit their website at wascarefair.com.