Are you ready to be scared out of your mind? Then head on over to the Haunted Asylum - also known as Lake Park-Audubon Elementary School - in Audubon this Friday, Oct. 30, to enjoy some good, old-fashioned spooky fun, courtesy of the LPA Student Council.
“There’s everything from jump scares to strobe lights to blood and gore, murder and mayhem,” says Bob Henderson, LPA technology coordinator, who helped plan the event.
What makes this event unique, he added, is that there will be “three levels of scares” - rated PG, PG-13 and R.
“People can choose how scared they want to be,” Henderson said, noting that the Level 3, or R-rated scare, is designed to be “all out” and is not recommended for the faint of heart.
In fact, the posters for the Haunted Asylum state that it’s “not recommended for anyone with a heart condition,” and waivers will need to be signed for anyone who decides they want to try venturing above level 2.
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And just in case the terror gets to be a little too much, he added, anyone can “escape the asylum” upon request. Adult escorts - dressed in plain black clothing -―will be on hand, with flashlights in hand, to help guests return to the safety of the main lobby, where there will be concessions available for purchase throughout the event, which runs from 7 to 10 p.m.
“We don’t want anyone to feel trapped,” Henderson explained. “It’s all fun and games, until it’s not.”
While all children under age 8 must be accompanied by an adult to enter, it’s strictly up to the parents to determine whether their children can handle being spooked, Henderson said.
“It’s not really recommended for very young children, but we let the parents decide,” he added.
Cost to enter the Haunted Asylum is $10 per person, though if you decide to go through a second or third time, that amount is reduced to $5, Henderson said.
This will be the first time that a Halloween event has been hosted by LPA students in several years, he noted.
“The FCCLA used to hold it in the old high school,” Henderson said. Because that building had been added on to a few times, “it was like a maze,” which made it ideal for hosting an event like this, he added.
The new high school, on the other hand, has a pretty straightforward layout, without many twists and turns, which is why the students chose to use the older elementary building instead.
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“The student council went to the elementary principal and teachers and got permission,” Henderson said.
LPA Elementary Principal Sam Skaaland confirmed at Monday night’s school board meeting that the students had approached him personally.
“I was a little hesitant, but they did a good job (of persuasion),” Skaaland said.
While Henderson did help with the technical planning for the event, and will be on hand to supervise, “this is 100 percent student led,” he said. There will be parents and other adults on hand to chaperone, but “all the scarers will be students.”
“We’ve got a very enthusiastic group this year,” Henderson added. “There are props being built, lighting effects being planned, and tons of makeup and costumes will be used. They’re really going all out.”
The students will head over to the elementary building from the high school at about 3:30 p.m. on Friday, “and by 7 p.m., they’ll be ready to go,” Henderson said.
Follow Detroit Lakes Newspapers reporter Vicki Gerdes on Twitter at @VickiLGerdes .
