Jaycees put fright into Halloween

COLUMBUS - Get ready to be terrified by the ghouls and fiends you will encounter in the Phantom Forest.

The Columbus Jaycees is presenting the annual Halloween fright at Camp Pawnee.

It opens at 8 p.m. today.

Ron Voter, who with Terry Janicek are chairmen of the event, said people will be met by 15-20 different characters once they enter the forest. He guarantees frights.

“Be prepared to have your pants get wet,” Voter said.

The Jaycees have been hosting an annual haunting for three years. Last year the event was held at the Pirate's Cove Corn Maze and attracted more than 500 people.

The group has been working for two weeks on preparing the Phantom Forest. Final preparations were being finished Thursday evening as friends and family of the Jaycee members were allowed to go through it.

Janicek said there are three parts to the Phantom Forest. People will first go through a “pre haunting” in a wooded area, then take a hayrack ride and finally go through a mile-long trail.

It takes about 35 minutes to go through the forest. Voter said even if you go through more than once, there will be surprises each time.

“Do not expect any of the characters to be in the same area each night,” Voter said.

Voter is a veteran of creating frights. He has worked on various haunted houses for the last 15 years. He said he is a horror movie fan and likes coming up with different characters to portray.

The character he plays in the Phantom Forest is a combination of Leatherface from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and the villain in “Jeepers Creepers.”

The haunting is the biggest fundraiser the Jaycees hold to raise money for the group's annual Fourth of July fireworks display, Janicek said.

The Phantom Forest is not recommended for children under 10. It opens at 8 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 26-28, Oct. 30 and Halloween day.

Tickets will be sold until 10 p.m. on Sundays and 11 p.m. on the weekends and Halloween. Cost is $8 or $7 with a can of food.

The food donations will be given to the Platte County Food Pantry.