As we get closer to the scariest night of the year, Canatara Park is transforming to offer friendly frights and scary sights this Saturday.
The Seaway Kiwanis Club is hosting its third Fright Night at the Park, scarily renaming it “Cana-Scare-A” for the evening.
“Obviously, everyone has a different tolerance for what they think is scary,” explains committee chair Dr. Dave Satram. “So there’s a four-scale pumpkin rating: one is very kid-friendly, and four is scary.”
The Animal Park will be transformed for the night from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., featuring experiences like haunted houses, a witch’s den, inflatables, characters, a hearse, a monster mash dance party, train rides, a cemetery, and, of course, Pumpkin Alley.
“A lot of the local high schools, colleges, and some public schools have been graciously helping to carve pumpkins, and they’re out on display on Pumpkin Alley,” says Satram. “There’s also a professional pumpkin carver there, courtesy of the city, and he does his fancy carvings for display.”
The event will run rain or shine, and Satram expects a large turnout.
“The first year was pretty wild, and we had a lot of people because I think it was the first major event after COVID,” Satram tells The Journal. “We’ve had people estimate about 20,000 after the first event. Last year, there were at least 15,000 people… People love Halloween and they like to get dressed up. And the big thing is, as Kiwanis, we try to do everything for free.”
A lot of work goes into creating Fright Night, with volunteers dedicating their time to setting up for the big event.
“It’s interesting because we’ve had a lot of international students come out and help from Lambton College,” says Satram. “A lot of times it’s their first experience with Halloween, so it’s kind of interesting watching their reactions. It’s pretty much everyone—from little kids to teenagers—who’s coming out to help, and then they want to see how people react to it all.”
While dressing up in your Halloween best isn’t a requirement, it is encouraged, and Satram says there will be many photo opportunities to share on social media.
“It’s not just kids; we have seniors going around to read and take pictures by the tombstones because they’ve got some comic sayings on them,” says Satram. “And throughout the whole area, there are different types of inflatables and decorations placed so people can take pictures.”