Somewhere a person screams in fright. The walls are drenched in dripping blood. At every turn, a ghost, monster or some other horror awaits unsuspecting victims.
It can mean only one thing: Soultaker’s Acres is back at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds.
“Last year, we were voted Haunt World magazine’s scariest attraction in Indiana by their readers. We’re very proud of that,” said Greg Steffe, DarkStar Haunted Entertainment, producer of Soultaker’s Acres. “I think we’ve topped that this year. We’ve got an even better show than last year.”
Opening weekend is tonight from 7 to 10 p.m., and Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m. The “Haunting at the Lake” then continues every Friday and Saturday night through October.
Admission is $8 for Soultaker’s Acres, and $3 for Dr. Coldus Blackstone Chamber of Horrors. A gruesome two-some – tickets for both places – is $10.
The fourth annual event is a collaborative effort between the Kosciusko County Fair Board and the 4-H Horse & Pony Club, Steffe said. It is held every year in the beef barn at the fairgrounds. Preparation for Soultaker’s Acres begins about a week after the fair ends in July.
“We don’t change the theme, but we do make changes to the house. It’s considerably longer than last year,” Steffe said. “There’s more dark twists and turns than ever before.”
According to the provided “legend” of Soultaker’s Acres, “The native Americans who inhabited the northern lakes region of Indiana knew him as the Wantaquah, the taker of life. Early white settlers in the area knew him as the Loop Garu, the stealer of souls. No matter what the name, the legend remained the same.
“In the fall of the year as the air grew crisp and the autumn moon became full, the Soultaker would rise up to claim new victims and return their souls to his netherworld kingdom deep below the lakes of northern Indiana. Now, he’s back seeking new victims as he reigns over his new domain, Soultaker’s Acres.”
Steffe said Soultaker’s Acres is a combination of live actors and high-tech interactive animatronics.
More people have volunteered to be actors in it than last year, he said. He estimated that about 100 volunteers will be a part of the haunting festivities this Halloween season. It takes about 30 volunteers a night to run it.
In 2011, he said they had 4,000 people go through the scary tunnels. That’s double what they did the second year.
“We come pretty close to doubling it every year,” Steffe said.
Besides Soultaker’s Acres, Dr. Coldus Blackstone Chamber of Horrors offers a glimpse at the macabre.
“It’s a totally separate feature,” Steffe said.
Those who dare to go inside can see remains of famous dead people, a real life vampire hunting kit and more.
“It is an old-fashioned carnival side show with a dark twist to it,” Steffe assured.
The target age for Soultaker’s Acres is mature teens to young adults, Steffe said.
“It may not be suitable for younger children,” he cautioned. “There’s depictions of violence, ghosts and monsters. ... Be the parent here.”
