Haunting the High Country

As the brisk fall air settles upon the mountains of Western North Carolina, there are ample opportunities to explore the region, enjoy a hot cider or get a good scare.

New River Corn Maze,

Deep GapLocated beside the scenic New River, on the historic Brown Family Farm, this five-acre corn maze offers more than just a challenge. The “pick your own pumpkin” patch is home to gourds big and small, an array of varieties, sizes, and colors from typical Jack-O-Lantern’s to Giant Pumpkins to heirloom pumpkins are available for picking, including a favorite among culinary circles, the Jarrahdale pumpkin.

A tram meanders around the farm, offering a view of all the fall colors. The corn maze is one mile of twisting turning fun.

Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic and enjoy the mountain air and partake in a game of corn hole.

New River Corn Maze is located at 660 Laurel Gap Ridge Rd, Boone, NC 28607. For information about this season’s pricing email newrivercornmaze@gmail.com.

Haunted Horn in the West, Boone2020’s events included a spooky guided tour through a gruesome and grisly camp scene, complete with strobe lights and fog. The venue also made beer and concessions available to patrons.

Haunted Horn in the West will likely resume under a new name this Halloween season, according to volunteers at Boone’s Hickory Ridge Museum. Plans for this year’s event are tentative due to the global pandemic. For updates visit hauntedhorn.com.

Terror by the River, BooneKristina and Matt Ward are the proud owners of Terror by the River, a haunted house and trail in the mountains of North Carolina. The Ward’s promise an experience that is sure to “scare your pants off.”

“Doing this has brought us so much joy to just be able to see everyone having so much fun,” Kristina Ward said.

The business outgrew Wahoo’s Adventures, and will host it’s third annual event at the High Country Fairgrounds this year.

Starting the last weekend in Sept. and every Friday and Saturday night in Oct., Terror by the River will lead one group of people at a time on foot through a trail of monsters and ghouls.

The venue opens at 6 p.m. for guests who wish to browse around or kids who wish to take the spooky tour in the daylight, but once the sun has set it becomes the witching hour.

The haunted trail will operate 8 p.m.-11 p.m. and can be tailored, upon request, to a level of terror of the guests choosing. The Ward’s are contemplating having an escape room for the event as well.

Bonfires, corn hole, giant checkers, a gift shop and snacks will all be available to guests with the price of admission. Tickets are $20 and tickets for kids under 10 are half off. Groups of 6 or larger can make reservations.

Terror by the River is home to the largest grim reaper in the nation.

“We hope to see as many happy, scared, laughing faces as possible,” Kristina Ward said.

Terror by the River’s staff are fully vaccinated, will be masked, and encourage social distancing, but no masks are required for guests. For more information regarding this event visit terrorbytheriver.com or call (828) 964-5392.

Haunted Factory,

West JeffersonThe Haunted Factory opened in 2016 and features more than 40 actors. The venue, located in the former Catawissa Lumber building behind the West Jefferson Fire department, features heart-stopping action and frightening encounters with monsters from the underworld.

The business opened its first haunted attraction in 2008, but relocated in hopes of providing a more memorable expereience for guests. This creepy haunted-house style attraction is not recommended for guests under the age of 8.

The Haunted Factory is located at 301 Locust St., West Jefferson. For additional information or to confirm its opening this year, go to www.facebook.com/thehauntedfactory, or call (336) 977-9025.

Beary Scary Halloween, Grandfather Mountain This special daylong event features a wide range of activities, including trick-or-treating, spooky arts and crafts, making enrichments for animals, and a costume contest, and is included with the price of admission to the attraction. Kids dressed in costume even receive admission at half price.

“Beary Scary is a great way for kids to come up to celebrate Halloween and learn all about bears and other fun creatures,” Jenny Condron, assistant habitats curator for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the park said.

During the event, patrons can trick-or-treat throughout the park while learning about bear facts. Locations include the gate house, Half Moon Overlook, animal habitats, Nature Museum, Top Shop and the Mile High Swinging Bridge.

“Not only is it fun to say, Beary Scary is a truly unique way to celebrate Halloween — with Grandfather Mountain’s resident party animals,” added Frank Ruggiero, director of marketing and communications for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the park. For more information on the status of this event, click to www.grandfather.com, or call (800) 468-7325.

Blowing Rock Halloween Fest, Blowing Rock

Visit blowingrock.com/familyhalloween.

Candlelight Ghost Tour, WilkesboroThe Candlelight Ghost Tours is a program operated as a fundraiser by and for the Wilkes Heritage Museum. Folklore and ghost tales abound in this area, passed down from one generation to the next.

Guests can walk amid the historic set up and be regaled with stories of the past, though maybe some folks are not as “past” as one might think. Guests might hear the footsteps of the long dead Tom “Dooley” Dula in the jail cell he once occupied or might spy the earthbound spirit of a little girl killed by runaway horses.

This event is open Sept. 11-Oct. 30, with two tours beginning at 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. each night. Tours begin on the lawn of Wilkes Heritage Museum, located at 100 East Main St., Wilkesboro. Guests are encouraged to bring a mask, as COVID-19 policies vary depending on the tour guide.

Boone Boo!, Boone The Jones House, a cultural and community hub in downtown Boone, invites pirates, princesses and children of all ages to the Watauga County Library for an evening of games and arts & crafts. The community is invited to visit downtown merchants for a safe, family-friendly trick-or-treating event.

The Jones House stage will be set with a curated Halloween music playlist streaming down King Street and larger-than-life Halloween inflatables lining the sidewalks.

Each year, the central part of King Street closes from Appalachian Street to Burrell Street, and nothing is out of the question including surprise guests, special performances, and impromptu dance parties.

Located at 604 West King St., the parlor and gallery of the Jones House will be decked out with silly, spooky décor.

For more information call (828) 268-6280.

Ashe County Corn Maze, West JeffersonAshe County Corn Maze is excited to return its fall tradition in the High Country just in time for the 2021 fall season.

The venue features a large corn maze that can take anywhere from 25 minutes to hours to complete.

In addition to the maze itself, the site offers multiple games and activities for the whole family, including a monster slingshot, a pumpkin cannon, jump houses, pumpkin bowling and the famous giant pipe slide. There’s also a smaller hay bale maze for younger children.

Ashe County Corn Maze is open Saturday’s and Sundays, Sept. 18-Oct. 31, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Live music is featured every Saturday during the fall season, while the venue boasts new contests with fun prizes

Admission to the venue is $12, while children age three and younger are admitted free. A season pass is also available at patrons’ requests.

The outdoor venue does not require masks but will continue to monitor CDC recommendations.

Ashe County Corn Maze is located at 2152 Beaver Creek School Rd. in West Jefferson. For more information, call 1 (800) 238-8733, or click to www.ashecountycornmaze.com.