3rd Annual “Frights in the Freight House”
3rd Annual “Frights in the Freight House”
Salamanca Rail Museum Gets a Little Spooky this October!
Photos / Salamanca Rail Museum
Our local communities are full of spooky fun this month. One venue that may seem unusual to you but fits the theme well is the Salamanca Rail Museum. Located at 170 N. Main Street in Salamanca, the old railroad freight house is steeped in history, making it a perfect (and creepy) location for a haunting good time.
The Rail Museum’s 3rd annual Frights in the Freight House will welcome visitors on Saturday, October 28th from 5:00-8:00pm. Transformed into an eerie maze, haunters will be at the ready to scare you, giving all who enter a real fright! Rail Museum board member Kari Kennedy gave ellicottvilleNOW a sneak peek of the event and how it all began.
“We first got started when members of the board were discussing fundraising ideas that would also get the local community involved, and this was the idea they liked best. It’s been growing ever since, including all the new stuff for this year,” Kari said. “We’ve expanded our frights to the larger space in the freight house which will be double - almost triple - the scaring fun! You can plan on more spooky scenes and ambience to walk through this year.”
Kari and the board have put a call-out to the local community and surrounding communities, looking for volunteers to dress up and scare people walking through the freight house. Although the request has been well received, Kari encourages more to hop on-board. Anyone interested can contact Kari directly at 716-801-2733 or email goodygoody724@yahoo.com. As Kari expressed, “This is a great opportunity for high school seniors looking to fulfill their community service requirement for graduation.”
Kari and her team look forward to presenting a scary puppet show as well - a spin on a traditional Seneca story and local legend of the well-known “High Hat”.
“This production is an extension of the puppet show that I created while working at the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum” Kari said. “I designed and handmade the puppets and stage, developed the script, hired voice actors, and created the soundtrack for this particular show. There will be a mix of Seneca language, modern music, laughs and scares.”
And it’s not just the freight house maze that brings in a crowd. A variety of entertainment can be enjoyed. “There will be two face painting stations, a photo shoot setup for individuals and families to take pictures with a spooky background (props will be available), and a trunk or treat sponsored by local businesses, community members, and organizations. We also have a couple of craft vendors that will be set up inside the museum selling jewelry and cookies by Kris Tome and Kaitlyn Miller, and Halloween themed décor by Marilyn Lenox. Plus, we’ll be playing a couple kid-friendly Halloween themed movies, Coraline and the new Haunted Mansion.”
The Wanderer Hut food truck will be on-site selling their delicious polish food offerings like homemade farmer’s cheese pierogis and polish sausage platters, while the museum will be providing donuts and apple cider.
Admission to this year’s Fright in the Freight House is only $5 per person, with kids 5 and under admitted for free! Talk about an affordable way to get into the Halloween spirit, without having to sell your limbs to Dr. Frankenstein.
“Last year we had over 100 people participate in this event, which was a great turnout,” Kari said. “We hope everyone comes back this year, and we look forward to seeing many new faces as well. Please come join us for some Halloween fun! See you there!”
To stay up-to-date on the Salamanca Rail Museum and other upcoming events in the works, visit their Facebook page or call 716-945-3133.
