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Clowns a scary sight in Spook House

Foothills residents brave enough to enter the Turner Valley legion basement after dark this month will never look at circus carnivals the same way.
Jessie Friesen, the mastermind of Carn-Evil, has plenty of scares in store for the brave souls planning to enter the Royal Canadian Legion Turner Valley Branch Spook House
Jessie Friesen, the mastermind of Carn-Evil, has plenty of scares in store for the brave souls planning to enter the Royal Canadian Legion Turner Valley Branch Spook House from Oct. 23 to 31.

Foothills residents brave enough to enter the Turner Valley legion basement after dark this month will never look at circus carnivals the same way.

A spooky assortment of clowns, freak show characters and creepy exhibits are slowly coming to life as ringmaster Jessie Friesen and her menagerie prepare for this year’s Spook House, calling it Carn-Evil.

The doors creak open Oct. 23 to 31 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“I completely changed the theme,” said Friesen, a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Turner Valley Branch. “We were going through pictures of stuff on Pinterest and we came up with clowns, a freak show and a side show.”

Friesen and her volunteers spent the past couple of weeks painting the walls and floor of the basement black and setting up lights, glow-in-the-dark decorations and an assortment of creepy props to amp up the scare level.

The spook factor ranges from low scare for youngsters and the faint of heart to extreme, sure to send some people running out of the basement screaming, Friesen said.

“Everything relies on lighting,” she said of Carn-Evil. “This year it’s all in your face for big scares.”

Despite moving to Red Deer recently, Friesen, who organized the Spook House the last seven years, said it was her duty to return.

She dedicated a month to putting together Carn-Evil and hopes to see the number of visitors this year beat last year’s tally of 2,500.

Those souls brave enough to shuffle through the bowels of the basement can expect more interaction with buttons to push and things to touch – if they dare.

Friesen said there will be no Frankenstein and witches this year. Instead, the spook house will feature a bearded lady, snake charmer, fortuneteller, strong man, a headless woman and plenty of clowns.

“It’s going to be fun,” she said. “All the volunteers are pretty psyched about having a new theme.”

In addition to her veteran spooksters, Friesen will have the help of Oilfields High School drama students dressed in frightening clown costumes to ramp up the creep factor.

“It becomes a very authentic experience for them,” said Sherry Schalm, the school’s drama teacher. “Short of doing street performances, this is as close as it gets to being right there in the community.”

Schalm said the students are responsible for their own costumes, makeup and developing their own evil clown characters.

“What I wanted them to do was develop their own character, whether they pattern it off of a circus clown gone bad or a creepy version of Raggedy Ann and Andy,” she said.

Schalm got a sneak peak at Carn-Evil in progress and plans to join the masses this week or next for a tour.

“It’s got the potential to be really creepy,” she said, adding her students will probably get the better of her. “It’s their big chance to scare the drama teacher. I will have to have my best blood-curdling scream ready.”

Across the street from the legion, Calgary’s Instrumental Entertainment is hosting a small version of its Zombie Survivor Run in the Motorrad Performance Motorcycle Shop field Oct. 23 to 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Participants will go through an obstacle course while eluding zombies for the opportunity to win prizes. Admission is by donation with the proceeds going toward the legion’s gymnastics club and Turner Valley School Legacy Park initiative.

Instrumental Entertainment will also be the deejay for the legion’s annual Family Halloween Costume Party on Oct. 24 from 6 to 10 p.m., which will feature costume prizes, candy and giveaways.

The cost to enter Carn-Evil is $6 for adults and teens and $3 for children 12 and under.

Day tours are available by calling 403-933-4564.

All proceeds cover the cost for next year’s Spook House.

Carnival foods will be sold at the legion kitchen.

Community members interested in donating candy to be handed out during Carn-Evil can call the legion at 403-933-4564.

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