Local haunts, activities are a real treat for Orillia Halloween lovers

As found on OrilliaMatters.com

.

.

.

Orillia doesn’t just hand out candy on Halloween, it transforms.

From downtown businesses and church events to haunted streets, projection-mapped houses, and full-blown maze attractions, the city has become a Halloween destination built by the community itself.

Whether you’re looking for cute costumes, family fun, pure nostalgia, or terrifying jump scares, here are some can’t-miss events that prove Orillia lives and breathes Halloween.

Downtown Trick-or-Treat — Saturday, Oct. 25, 11 a.m.

In the heart of the city, downtown businesses open their doors to little ghosts and superheroes for a safe, family-friendly trick-or-treating event. Kids can collect candy from shops like December Sun, The Kitchen Shop, Studio 11, Ballare Dance, Hawksnest Jewellery, Kelly’s Klothing, DWN Chocolate, Birdhouse Co, Jack and Maddy’s, Poppies, Pocket Skate, Everything Style Co and more.

It’s the perfect daytime kickoff, adorable costumes, smiling business owners, and a downtown core filled with excitement before the sun goes down and things get spooky.

Punisher’s Panic Yard: Haunted Maze — Oct. 25 to 31, 7 to 10 p.m. 

If you’re looking for the scare of your life, you might find it at 28 Fittons Road East. 

Punisher’s Panic Yard is a full-scale maze built in the yard of Orillia resident Mark Wilson, complete with twisting pathways, strobe lights, fog machines, themed rooms, and 8 to 12 live actors jumping out when you least expect it.

“Last year I saw five-year-olds go through it and laugh,” Wilson said. “I have also seen 14-year-olds turn around and come out terrified." 

He got hooked on Halloween during the COVID-19 pandemic and went “a little overboard,” emptying his entire house and placing his couch on the lawn to create a haunted house. Instead of stopping, he scaled up.

“I like Halloween over Christmas now,” he said. “It’s more fun.”

This year, he’s adding a brand-new glow-in-the-dark clown section, along with new layouts and scares he’s been planning all year. 

“I don’t sleep at night,” he said. “My brain doesn’t shut off. I'm always thinking about what we could add next." 

Every night draws huge crowds, and last year, people told him it was better than some of the large-scale haunted attractions in the GTA.  

“They hire a company to come in and do that,” he said. “This is me." 

Wilson says proceeds support Ronald McDonald House Charities, which helped his family when they needed it most.

“That’s why we do it,” he said. “It’s a way to give back.”

Dale Drive Projection Show: Hollywood-Level Halloween Magic — Saturday, Oct. 18 and 25, Dusk to 11 p.m. 

Every year, homeowner and event organizer Derick Lehmann transforms his entire family home into a giant animated screen, syncing massive visuals and music to create a story-driven Halloween show unlike anything else in the region.

“With Stranger Things 5 coming out in a couple of weeks, I’ve added back the Stranger Things show, it’s called Vecna’s House," Lehmann explained. 

In addition to Vecna, the lineup includes Michael Myers, Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus.

“I encourage people to come out and enjoy it,” he said. “And if you’re able to support the food bank with a non-perishable food item, that would be great.”

There’s a donation bin on the lawn, but the show is completely free, and Lehmann is usually outside handing out candy. Families now make it part of their yearly tradition, driving through the Couchiching Point neighbourhood and tuning into 88.1 FM to hear the show’s soundtrack.

“It’s become one of the Halloween-decorated houses to check out around town,” he said. “I’m excited to say ours has become a popular one.”

Family Halloween Night at Orillia Community Church — Friday, Oct. 31, 5:30 p.m.

Looking for a fun, cozy, kid-friendly way to start Halloween night? Orillia Community Church is hosting a free family drop-in event packed with activities for all ages at 64 Colborne Street East. 

The event includes carnival games, science experiments, crafts, candy, and free pizza for everyone. The big screen will light up at 6:30 p.m. with Disney Pixar’s Elio, turning the former cinema into a throwback movie night.

It’s warm, welcoming, and the perfect stop before heading out trick-or-treating or before braving the scarier attractions later in the night.

Orillia House of Horrors: The Legendary Haunted Street Returns — Friday, Oct. 31, 6 p.m. 

For more than 30 years, the Orillia House of Horrors at 20 Ashton Street has been the stuff of local legend. Started in 1990 by Daryl Carstens and his family, it began with people walking through his living room and has grown into a full-scale walkthrough with walls, actors, fog, strobe lights and some of the best scares in town.

The garage-based Haunted House hasn't been running since 2019, but this year, it’s back, because his grandkids left him no choice. 

"They were getting asked by their friends at school, and they put the pressure right on me," Carstens said. "I didn't want to let them down." 

When the pandemic impacted Halloween traditions in 2020, Carstens didn’t pack it in; he expanded. He went door to door and asked neighbours if he could put just one prop on each lawn so people could safely drive through the street and enjoy the haunted house in a new way. 

The response was so good that the neighbours kept going.

“The neighbours had so much fun with it that now they’ve gone and bought their own stuff,” Carstens said. “They've taken it to a whole different level." 

What started as a workaround has turned the entire block into a massive, movie set-like haunted street that draws more than a thousand visitors on Halloween night. Carstens says new neighbours have recently moved onto Ashton Street, just to be part of it.

“Eventually, I guess they realized I’m not moving,” Carstens laughed. “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”

Now, families who walked through the House of Horrors as kids are bringing their own children back. It has become a true Orillia tradition, one built across generations.

Carstens plans to open his garage, transformed into a haunted attraction, around 6 p.m. once it’s dark. He’ll keep going until the crowd finally dies down.

“It’s about giving the kids an experience they’ll remember for years,” he said. “That’s why we do it.”

Whether you want adorable, magical, nostalgic, funny, or flat-out terrifying, there’s something for every age and level of bravery in Orillia.