CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — It’s officially October and Panic Point has already begun it scare-tivities, featuring a hayride, five attractions and over a hundred actors.
“It’s a chance though for a lot of people to come and just have one good night of Halloween time and be able to experience some thrills and some scares while again having some downtime in the midway here and hanging out with each other,” says Jeff Huguely, co-owner of the Haunted Forest at Panic Point.
Many of the actors and attendees have been coming for years, claiming to love the work environment, the creativity, and variety of the scares.
“I really like the socializing, the friends I’ve met here, it’s a great place to meet people, and I also really like the scaring because it’s always so satisfying getting that one really reactive person, it just kinda boosts your ego a bit,” says Nex Jackson, a Panic Point Actress.
“Every year whatever you thought you had last year, you’re getting something,” says Kenny Stutz the tractor driver.
Panic Point expects up to 30,000 attendees this season, becoming one of the many Halloween treats Americans can enjoy this October. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are predicted to spend up to 12.2 billion dollars on Halloween spending this year.
Panic point has been open since 2011 and has been working to increase its outreach to nearby colleges and high schools by expanding its ingenuity, featuring werewolves and scenes from the The Blair Witch Project and The Conjuring Universe.
“One of my favorite movies was The Blair Witch Project because it was based in Maryland,” Huguely says. “So I was always interested by it and in that one, you never see the actual monster in it; so I said let’s put them in the woods, they hold on to ropes and let their minds mess with them, and people love it.”
Panic Point will be open throughout spooky season, attempting to provide attendees with thrills and chills during the remaining month of October.