Pop’s Landing Haunted Hayride (Glencoe, KY)
“Twinkling Stars Blanket the Night Sky”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Twinkling stars blanket the night sky like a painted canvas. The cool fall weather is in full force and people are ready to get scared. Pop’s Landing takes place at Haddix Farms, a 1500 acre farm full of history and mystery. This will be their second year of fear and we honestly didn’t know what to expect. Pop’s Landing begins with a long history of the farm. It’s entertaining and can be frightening at times. A man dressed as a cowboy tells the history of the farm and drives the tractor. After about 10 minutes, it’s time to experience the haunted hayride. A skeleton hangs onto the wagon for dear life.
This unique haunted hayride takes nearly an hour with twists, turns and more. You’ll even travel across creeks where you might get wet. Much of the experience involves darkness, but there are scenes here and there. This includes a path of fire that the tractor drives across. There are various high speed chases you’ll encounter. We were chased by a quad with a skeleton as the driver. He must have been going 30 miles an hour when he left the scene. Another involves a regular car that’s out of control and nearly crashes into the wagon.
Pop’s Landing features a variety of characters like a killer clown and a chainsaw maniac. We wish there were more actors along the way since there’s so much dead space. We of course aren’t going to ruin all the scenes. You’ll eventually be dropped off and enter a large barn with various scenes and props. Most of it consists of animatronics like skeletons that blow horns, a gross butcher house, a witch attack and more. It’s not necessarily scary, but it’s entertaining and puts you in the mood for Halloween.
Pop’s Landing might not be the scariest haunted hayride around, but it’s fun none the less. We wish there were more actors and scenes to speak of. This is a low budget haunt and profits made go straight back into the hayride for next season. But for $10, it’s a good value considering its length and how unique it is. Ages 3 & under are free. It’s only their second year and we’re looking forward to seeing how they improve.
There are concessions available like Lex’s famous chili and more. There was a live band and Caroline was playing on the movie screen the night we visited. All weekend long there were bounce houses, a corn maze, mums, pumpkins, gourds, non scary hayrides, craft vendors and more. If you get cold then you can warm up at one of the bonfires. Throughout the year the farm has camping, kayaking, farm tours and more. Parking is free.
We were pleasantly surprised by Pop’s Landing Haunted Hayride. It was fun, sometimes frightening and the rest of the passengers on the wagon were having a great time. We were too. So, if you’re in the area then be sure to experience their haunted hayride. It’s a fun ride that’s appropriate for all ages. Don’t forget to pick up a walnut to take home since there are so many that are on the ground.
Length-10 Design-5 Props-6 Acting-6 Scare Effect-6
Final Stab: 6.6
www.popslanding.com