Today we interview Ron Davis, owner of the haunted attraction Dark Harvest Productions in HIllsboro, Ohio. Learn about this horrifying haunt that’s sure to entertain those looking for a great scare.
What makes your haunt different than the competition?
Our haunt is different in a lot of ways. We try to give our customers a full night experience with unique scenes. We do some traditional things that people love, like the clowns, but we pride ourselves on our themes.
What is the storyline of Dark Harvest Productions?
Our overall theme incorporates the history behind our home city of Hillsboro. Hillsboro was known in the past for being the worlds biggest manufacturer of bells. The C.S. Bell company operated in Hillsboro and shipped bells all over the world. So Hillsboro became known as Bell City. I thought what a great way to keep the history of this city alive, plus how creepy is a bell foundry. So I made up a fictional backstory and Elmer Dawes, the Bell City Ringer was born. Every year we plan to unleash another character from this story.
Introduce yourself and tell us how you’re involved with the haunt?
I’m one of the three owners, along with my wife Jennifer and sister Tracy. We all have a love for Halloween and thought this would be a great idea for the community.
What obstacles do you face running multiple haunts?
The obstacles of running three different haunts at the same place are just as you would think. Money and manpower. You need three times as much stuff. We also split up each attraction to be designed by a different person so we could have 3 totally different experiences. The weather is a real challenge in an outdoor haunt.
Is there anything you would change about Dark Harvest Productions?
I would love to one day add an indoor haunt to the attraction so we could guarantee we could always open.
How do you recruit actors and what do you look for?
We hire a lot from social media. We also do a few festivals or the like each year and we meet people there who want to scare people. We love experienced haunters but we really just look for the right attitude in a potential haunt actor.
Tell us about the Christmas Naughty or Nice Wagon Ride Event.
This year we are trying to open a Christmas attraction. If you purchase a ticket on the nice wagon you get to go to the North Pole to see Santa. If you end up on the naughty wagon, well let’s just say you don’t.
What’s your favorite part about working in the haunt industry?
I love working in the haunt industry just because I get to add some joy to peoples lives. It’s fun for me as well, but seeing a smile on someone’s face as they leave is what it’s all about.
What’s your favorite haunt besides your own?
I would say my favorite haunt to attend was the Wilmington Haunted Hollow Ride. Unfortunately they had to shut down this season for health issues. Hopefully they will be back up and running next year.
(Watch this humorous video featuring the monster known as Gag.)
We would like to sincerely thank Ron Davis for taking time out of his day to answer questions we had to help those who are curious about Dark Harvest Productions. You can learn more about this haunt by visiting www.darkharvestproductions.com.