Haunted Palouse brings in 3,464 visitors to event

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | Nov 06, 20140

“You better stick close to me,” said a man in a flannel shirt in the dark entrance to Roy M. Chatters Printing Museum in Palouse.

Then he was distracted by a spider in a high corner of the tight foyer. It sucked him up through a hole in the ceiling.

At that point, visitors to the 13th annual Haunted Palouse were on their own.

Up on Shady Lane, farm trailers rolled into the darkness above the river.

“I like the smell of exhaust,” someone said entering the trees.

“That’s bad,” said another.

“I know. I like the smell of gas. That’s even worse.”

The voices of the 13th Haunted Palouse – these from guests in a trailer, not the professionals – added up to 3,464 people paying a visit to the veiled town over three nights in October and Nov. 1.

Dozens of volunteers put on the event, followed immediately by a cleanup day Sunday.

Support included $400 in donations to McLeod’s Palouse Market for snacks and refreshments for the workers over both weekends.

“We appreciate that so much,” said longtime volunteer Janet Barstow. “Acting and building is not for everyone, by any means.”

Helping with the construction and take-down for the fourth year were members of WSU fraternity Sigma Chi. Also, 15 students from the WSU Center for Civic Engagement helped Sunday.

“I think our volunteers are pretty amazing, that we get it cleaned up in one day,” Barstow said.

“We always like going back, and we appreciate that they come back to us,” said Danny Thoren, a junior communications major from Sigma Chi.

Proceeds for this year’s event have not been tallied. The money from the $15 tickets (with some group discounts) will benefit several local organizations, such as Palouse Community Center, Chamber of Commerce, Roy M. Chatters Printing Museum, Palouse Skate Park, Palouse Area Robotics Team, Palouse Lions Club, Garfield-Palouse FFA, Gar-Pal Athletic Fund, Viola Community Club and Viking Crew.