Scare Fair (Lima, OH)
“Harold’s Highway To Hell “
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Our first year touring Scare Fair was in 2012 and we were pretty impressed. It’s well worth the 2 hour drive from Cincinnati even though it’s not the easiest haunt to find. Scare Fair is in the middle of nowhere, but don’t let that fool you. It’s one of the best scream parks in the state of Ohio and you’re sure to have an incredible time.
This is City Blood’s 2013 review of Scare Fair.
The haunt most people visit first at Scare Fair is The Gauntlet. The line wasn’t very long since most people were at Harold’s Haunted Cornfield and Hatchet Creek. The place was packed and many people were petrified. The group of 5 teenagers in front of us were so scared that they refused to enter. We were thankfully aloud to go ahead of them as they stood frozen in fear. My heart was racing a little and I was ready for The Gauntlet.
Mysterious creatures from the dark pits of hell hide behind the shadows of The Gauntlet. The Gauntlet is a unique attraction where you’re worst nightmares come true as you desperately try to find a way out. Zombies, monsters and unspeakable creatures emerge from the darkness and you’re unsure where to go. This gothic style haunt uses subtle lighting to help bring a nightmare to life. Actors in elaborate costumes scratch and claw from behind bars and many pop up when you least expect it. Enter an outdoor cemetery that’s protected by a gravedigger and escape to the mausoleum that’s guarded by a large Slayer Super Creature from the prop company Scare Factory.
The Gauntlet doesn’t rely on high end animatronics, but there are plenty of props that will catch your eye. A violent Frankenstein monster rises from his steel table. Will you become one of Dr. Frankenstein’s creations? You can run, but you can’t hide. Actors and props are everywhere. Look up and you’ll be attacked by a grim reaper that covers you with its costume. Expect the unexpected at The Gauntlet. Total tour time is around 10 minutes, but it feels much longer because of how the haunt is designed. You’ll feel like you’ve been inside The Gauntlet for at least 20 minutes. It’s a dark and sinister haunt that will strike at your worst fears.
After we were done with The Gauntlet, we decided to walk around a little. Unfortunately there weren’t any queue line actors at Scare Fair, but hopefully this is because it was opening night. You’ll notice that Scare Fair offers a variety of concessions at reasonable prices. Chili Dogs are only $2 a piece. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The attractions themselves aren’t difficult to locate, but could benefit from better signage. Scare Fair is a very dark place and some people might be confused where to go if it’s there first time there.
We took a small break and sat down for a few minutes before getting in line for Harold’s Haunted Cornfield featuring Hatchet Creek. It was a beautiful night and the place was packed. There must have been twice as many people compared to this time last year. The logical reason is that it was Friday the 13th and most people wanted to experience something scary on such an unlucky night. After relaxing a bit, we got in line for the next haunt. Harold’s Haunted Cornfield is the most popular attraction at Scare Fair. The line wasn’t massive, but we waited for about an hour. It was a little frustrating, but it happens especially on a haunt’s opening night.
Harold’s Haunted Cornfield has been expanded this year. The cornfield is larger and has more actors. The actors are decent, but don’t have many lines of dialogue. It’s a straight forward corn maze with a linear path. There aren’t many twists and turns and after a while it becomes a little repetitive and predictable. The actors put in a great effort, but the cornfield portion is a little too long. The inside portion of the haunt is where it really shines. This is where most of the action happens. Scenes include a haunted nursery, a gory kitchen, a scrap yard and more. The most impressive scare involves the first scene. An old bridge leading to a haunted cabin is where an old gypsy resides. She proceeds to talk about chickens in an amplified voice as she holds a severed body part. This is pretty creepy to say the least. Harold’s Haunted Cornfield is the most popular attraction at Scare Fair and for good reason. It’s the longest attraction and has a variety of scenes. Total tour time is 22 minutes.
After you exit Harold’s Haunted Cornfield, you’ll walk up a small hill for Toxic Trauma. Toxic Trauma is simply one of the best mazes you will ever experience. There’s been a nuclear spill and all hell has broken loose. Infected ghouls run amuck and are out for blood. This is a very disorienting maze with large clouds of fog, flashing lights and deafening sounds from every direction. The infected will attack you from above, from the side and will even grab at your legs. This off the wall maze is intense beyond belief. At certain points you’ll have a hard time seeing anything at all because of the thick fog that consumes you. Ghouls drop barrels from above and you’ll need to navigate around body bags. It’s a crazy haunt and one that you’ll remember for a long time. Tour time is close to 8 minutes, but it depends on how lost or confused you get. Toxic Trauma is better than it’s ever been and is a very intense experience.
We arrived at Scare Fair at 9:45 and left after 12. I can’t stress to you how good of a value Scare Fair is. For only $15, you get access to 3 haunted houses and a haunted cornfield. That’s less than $4 piece. There were some issues, but that’s expected on a haunt’s opening night. It’s bound to get better and better as the season progresses. We highly recommend you visiting Scare Fair. It’s fun, a great value and damn scary. Please save your ticket for 10% off at Texas Roadhouse. Click here for a $3 off coupon towards the 4 haunt combo package.
Final Stab For Each Haunt
The Gauntlet: Length-7 Design-9 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-9 Scare Effect-9 Final Stab: 8.4
Toxic Trauma: Length-6 Design-8 Props/Animatronics-Not Rated Acting-8 Scare Effect-9 Final Stab: 7.8
Harold’s Haunted Cornfield & Hatchet Creek: Length-9 Design-8 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-8 Scare Effect-8 Final Stab: 8.2
http://scarefair.entertainerohio.com/