Jaycees Haunted House set to start scaring Thursday

The annual Jaycees Haunted House is returning once again this year with a number of new frights and attractions for the community, Jaycees Haunted House Committee Chair Tyler Tate said. 

The haunted house is one of the community event fundraisers the Jaycees host during the year, with all the money raised going back into the community, he added.

"It's just a good time," Tate said.

The haunted house is located above the Havre Eagles Club and will be open Thursday through Oct. 31, Halloween night, starting at 7 p.m. each night.

He said he and his co-chair, Carly Holmes, have made a few changes to the haunted house this year, after hearing some feedback from the community. The changes include a new room along with some updates and reorganizing of the old rooms and hallways. He added that Holmes has been a big help this year.

"Carly has really shown a lot of motivation toward the haunted house this year," he said. "She got a lot of feedback from people about some things that were getting a bit stale, and she's really taken the reins on this. I'm proud of her more than anything."

Tate said the new room is the Blair Witch Room, featuring trees, branches and new symbols to give people a good scare. He added that they also have moved some of their existing rooms around to give the haunted house a more fluid flow. They also have eliminated the Cave Room, updating it to be more in line with the Serial Killer Room located next to it. And the Ritual Room has had a number of updates, he said, such as featuring new symbols and props.

Havre High School Band students are going to be volunteering again this year and they have their own room in the works, Tate said. 

He added that he really enjoys putting on the haunted house every year.

"It's a passion," he said. "Halloween is my favorite holiday, I've always had fun with it. I like scaring people. It's always fun hearing them scream and then laugh at themselves about it and hearing them talk about each other getting scared while they are running down the stairs out of the haunted house. Everybody has fun with it."

The entire haunted house takes about five to 10 minutes for a person to pass through.

There is no age restriction, but children must be accompanied by an adult, he said. 

No flashlights and no swearing are permitted; participants cannot touch the scarers, and the scarers cannot touch the participants.

The admission charges are $5 per person or $4 per person with a non-perishable food item, Tate said, adding that all the non-perishable food items will go to the Havre Food Bank.

He said the Jaycees will also once again have a Scare-Free Day Sunday, Oct. 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. Scare-Free Day will be for children and adults who want to go through the haunted house and not be scared. The lights will be turned on and actors not jumping out to scare people. Entry cost will be $2 per person or two non-perishable food items.

In the past, the proceeds from the haunted house have gone toward the Salvation Army's Angel Giving Tree and the Jaycees Koats for Kids, he said. He added that the Jaycees will be meeting shortly after Halloween to select a program or a fundraiser.

Tate said they are always looking for volunteers. People who are 16 or older can contact him at 390-6856. People who are 16 or 17 years old have to have a form signed by a parent or guardian in order to volunteer. He added that volunteers will also receive a free dinner every night, which is provided by a number of local businesses.

"Come up, volunteer," he said. "If you're bored one night come on through. It's always a good time."