25th year: Greenwell’s Haunted Hike under way
By CHUCK?BALLARO
Hundreds were lined up around the fence to one of the go-carts tracks, waiting to get scared out of their wits as the sky turned dark.
Greenwell’s Family Fun Park on Pine Island Road has put on its annual Haunted Hike since 1992. Now in its 25th year, the event has brought more than 10,000 people to its doors to see the chainsaw-wielding, psychotic clowns and other characters who take part in the scary, blood-spewing fun.
Dana Watters, a manager at Greenwell’s, had a hand in getting it all started and as much of one in not only keeping it around, but changing it up.
“When Mike built the park, he and his brother had the idea to add this attraction. The first one was so successful, it just started growing and growing and got bigger every year,” Watters said. “The best thing is that we change it around every year. It’s not exactly the same.”
This year, as this is an anniversary, the park has decided to take all the best it has ever done and include it in one hike, unlike other years where there was a theme.
The event has become so good people are saying that it rivals anything the big amusement parks are doing.
Bo Greenwell, whose father, Mike, owns the park and who wore rainbow contacts to make himself a little scarier, said he’s been participating in the hikes since he was a child.
“We really try to outdo ourselves every year. Having the events at Busch Gardens and in Orlando, we like to try to compete with them on a smaller scale and bring them here,” Greenwell said.
It begins with a dark clown greeting people at the park and chasing them with a chainsaw, a preview of what lies ahead.
Jessica Olsson and her group waited quite a while to get their turn. It wasn’t her first hike.
“We love it. It’s fun and scary and I’m back again and will probably be back next year,” Oleson said.
After a wait in line, groups of eight enter the trail and are locked in so they can’t run back. Those most scared run through the trial in under five minutes, but those who want to take in the experience take about 15.
Sophia Gallina and Madison Tripp, both 11, may have been among the sprinters were it not for Chelsea Lund and Kayla Christensen, both of Fort Myers, who were perfect people to hide behind, since they were adults.
All were equally afraid as chainsaw wielding lunatics chased them, even after they left ended the hike to presumed safety.
Lund and Christensen, who calls herself a haunted house connoisseur, was very impressed by the walk, saying it was just as scary as the big-park events.
“It was amazing. It’s the first chance we got to do it. The scariest part was the chainsaws,” Lund said as she screamed again when another chainsaw scream past them. “I would rank this an eight or nine.”
“I’ve only done one local one, but this was good. I think it had a scare factor of Halloween Horror Night,” Christensen said. “It was well done and very good for a local one.”
The Haunted Hike is meant for older children and is intended to be scary. For the littlest children there is the Safe Trick or Treat event on Oct. 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. Kids are encouraged to wear costumes and bring their goodie bags.
The hike takes place Oct. 21-22, and Oct. 28 to 31 starting at dark. General admission is $13 and the FastPass ticket is $20. Special event parking is $2.
For more, go to greenwellsfamilyfunpark.com or call 574-4386.