Halloween Haunted House Reopens After 2-Yr. Hiatus

It may sound like an oxymoron, but the Westfield Optimist Club is more than just a little bit optimistic about its upcoming creep-fest project: building and reinstituting Halloween’s Haunted House tradition at the Westfield Memorial Pool complex.

Open to the public for one day on October 31, the Haunted House will be a maze consisting of 13 “vignette” character-filled scenes including the Addams Family, Dracula’s castle, a scary bedroom, an "unliving room," and spooky woods with branches hanging down. The 10-foot-high walls have been painted black, and the entire structure will be completely tarped over, creating a dark, eerie atmosphere. There will be sound effects, fog machines, strobe lights, flourescent paintings, and motion-sensor and mechanical devices that will make a rocking chair seemingly move by itself, a zombie sit up in its coffin, a bat pop out of walls, and wind blow. The Haunted House actors will be in full costumes and make-up, but they will not touch visitors.

Parents of younger children are advised to visit from 4 to 6 p.m. when the house will be less scary. The Optimist Club plans to heighten the fright factor from 6 to 9 p.m. The event will also feature food vendors, hay rides, clowns, and a band to entertain families while they wait on line.

The addition of the Addams Family scene has special meaning to Westfield. American cartoonist Charles Addams (1912-1988) lived in town at 512 Elm Street, and the house that was portrayed in his cartoons was located at 411 Elm Street. Addams passed the house every day on his way to school.

“The town has been supportive, and it has been a year of coordination,” commented Darielle Walsh, the club's vice president of community projects and chair of PR & marketing. “We’ve had great cooperation from the fire and police departments. One of our missions was to make sure the Haunted House is really safe and that everything is fire retardant and flame proof. There are even emergency exits incorporated into the maze. We started building the sets six weeks ago. It’s much like a stage production with that level of make-up, costumes, and props.”

The Haunted House’s origins trace back several years. It was originally managed by the town’s Recreation Department. The Optimist Club, a non-profit organization whose primary focus is to conduct service projects that benefit youths and the community, stepped in about six to seven years ago to provide the much-needed manpower for the Haunted House event. Together, the two groups created a fun, family-friendly tradition that many residents looked forward to year after year. When the pool complex was renovated in 2007, the Haunted House went on a two-year hiatus.

This year the roles are flipped, with the Optimist Club at the helm planning, organizing, building and painting all the sets, making all the costumes, providing all the volunteer actors, running, and presenting the Haunted House with the Recreation Department as a co-sponsor. The project, which is expected to be a break-even event, is funded by grants from The Westfield Foundation, PSE&G, and the Rotary Club of Westfield. The Optimist Club has also received the help of almost 100 volunteers who have already put in 500 hours of work. The dedicated team includes Optimist Club members and Westfield residents, as well as participants from the YMCA, the Jewish Community Center, and the Rotary Club. The event is expected to attract up to 2,000 people.

“The Haunted House has been a major part of our culture,” commented Jeffrey Feldman, organizer for the Haunted House and former Optimist Club president. “We felt it was important to continue the tradition for three reasons. First, the Optimist Club bills themselves as a friend to youths, and there are very few activities in town that touches more kids than the 2,000 we see every year with this event. Secondly, it also provides an opportunity for older teenagers to get involved in a fun, community activity. By continuing the program, we were able to recruit 50 to 75 kids to help decorate the Haunted House. A lot of our high school students painted the scenery, and one built a clock that runs backwards in one of the rooms. The third reason we like doing it is because it’s also great for the adults. We usually get anywhere from 30 to 60 adults who volunteer to help with the construction and serve as actors. It’s an opportunity to get dressed up and have some fun.”

“The parents love it because it’s an alternative or an enhancement to the Halloween trick-or-treat experience,” concluded Walsh. “During the two years that the Recreation Department didn’t hold it, a lot of people were disappointed. Since we announced we were putting up the Haunted House this year, the response has been wonderful. People have said that they remember it from the past, and they’re anxious to come back. And because we’ve included the Addams Family vignette, it makes the Haunted House very uniquely Westfield.”

----------------------------------------

Westfield’s Annual “Haunted House”

Where: Westfield Memorial Pool, 713 Cumberland St, Westfield

When: October 31, 2009, from 4-9 pm (4-6 pm will be less scary and more appropriate for children under 10 years old)

Cost: $4 each visit through the maze

For more information, contact Jeffrey Feldman: feldmanjeffrey@excite.com  

Download the movie