Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
A mist rises off the North Fork of the Palouse River. There is no telling what it may hide under its cover.
On Friday and Saturday night, a nearby town will find out in the 12th annual Haunted Palouse.
Once more for two October weekends, frights, scares, refreshments and thrills will take over Palouse. Beginning tomorrow, visitors will step close together through dark pathways of a haunted museum and haunted firehouse and ride side-by-side on farm trailers through Shady Lane, a dirt road along the river.
In addition to the main attractions, at the top of narrow staircase in the old American Legion Hall, fortune tellers again will reveal their promises. The Palouse Grange will operate a photo booth near the line for Shady Lane and food will be for sale from the Xenodican Club, the Palouse Community Center and Moscow Rotary. Selections include hamburgers, kettle corn, pop and cocoa.
In a new addition this year, group discounts are available for 20 or more on the first weekend, with a separate group line forming at the ticket table in the drive-thru of America West Bank.
The night begins at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday with the last ticket sold at 10 p.m. Organizers will make sure each guest has the opportunity to go through all of the attractions before shutting down for the night.
Tickets are $15. No one under 12 is admitted.
“We’re very excited,” said volunteer Janet Barstow. “We’re helping a lot of good causes while giving people a great show for their money.”
Beginning in September, dozens of volunteers have worked to prepare for the four-night event which has raised $312,000 for the community since its start in 2001.
“Every year we get a few new volunteers,” said Barstow. “Also people just doing nice things, bringing food, covering costs. Working all night is not for everyone but there’s other things people do.”
In addition to Palouse residents, WSU’s Sigma Chi fraternity worked for Haunted Palouse for the third year in 2013 as a service project. They spent five days with seven or eight members at a time hauling lumber and props for set construction inside the museum and firehouse – which will include live bands this year as part of the haunting.
All told, Barstow said about 25 volunteers work each attraction on the nights of Haunted Palouse.
Included in the ranks are brothers Bill, Tim and Jim Howard, who grew up in Palouse and now convene each year in their hometown as scarers. Jim comes from Port Orchard, while Bill lives in Troy, Idaho, and Tim lives in Garfield.
Proceeds from the 2013 Haunted Palouse will benefit the community center (35 percent), proposed skate park (25 percent), Lions Club, Viking Crew and Gar-Pal Athletic Club (dividing 25 percent), Palouse Chamber of Commerce (10 percent) and The Roy M. Chatters Printing Museum (five percent). In addition, off the top for the second year, proceeds will pay the electricity for keeping the town’s readerboard running.
With just one day to go until the start of the 12th year, Barstow indicated all will be ready.
“Now we’re down to the details,” she said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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