A local nonprofit organization that has been delivering scares to haunted house enthusiasts for 17 years is hosting a new event this weekend.
The Seymour Jaycees is introducing the special edition of Krampus: A Haunted Christmas at the Fear Fair venue, 800 A Ave. East, Seymour.
“We did Valentine X this past February, which was our first off-season event, but this is our first Krampus event,” said Brett Hays, Fear Fair director. “We will be doing Valentine X again this coming year as well as Zombie Apocalypse Live.”
Zombie Apocalypse Live is a tactical, live action, zombie shooting experience. Infrared military training replicas are used to clear apocalyptic and infested areas where the undead have invaded. Before zombies were at Fear Fair, there was Valentine X.
“I think Valentine’s Day creates a lot of pressure on couples to do something special,” said Hays. “It inevitably ends up becoming a big letdown. I thought we could offer up an alternative to the traditional Valentine’s date and give people a night they won’t soon forget.”
Most of the regular Fear Fair cast will be back to participate in Krampus: A Haunted Christmas with a few guest actors from other haunts during the off-season events, Hays said.
“We have an incredible cast and crew, and we couldn’t do it without any of them,” he said. “We love what we do, so any opportunity to put on a show, we will seize it.”
Having the cast active every few months is great for cast retention and really keeps them energized, Hays said.
“Krampus will be appearing at this event, maybe more than one,” Hays said. “Wicked little elves, both the shelf variety and others, will be on hand.”
In folklore, Krampus is a horned figure described as half-goat, half-demon who during the Christmas holiday punishes children who have misbehaved.
Krampus: A Haunted Christmas is a unique holiday experience where the haunted house has swapped pumpkins for Christmas lights and zombies for elves.
In the Christmas-themed interactive haunted house, you can find Jack Frost, a twisted gingerbread man, Oogie Boogie and others, Hays said.
There is no age limit on the attraction but Fear Fair suggests that this event is PG-13.
It will be open from 7 to 11 p.m. today and Saturday. Tickets are available online at fearfair.com and at the door. Hays said there is a chance the event could sell out.
Although some groups of visitors choose to run through the attraction, it typically takes between 30 and 40 minutes to walk through, depending on crowd size, making it one of the larger haunted attractions in the state.
A portion of the proceeds earned is put back into the attraction, paying for bigger, better scares each year, and a large portion of the proceeds will be donated to numerous causes in the community.
Fear Fair has been rated one of the Top 10 Best Extreme Haunted Attractions of 2015 by USA Today, a Top 13 Great Haunted Attraction in the United States for 2014 by Forbes magazine and a Top Five Haunted Attraction in the U.S. by Coaster Nation for 2015, along with numerous other awards from past years.
Fear Fair also was voted the scariest haunted attraction in Indiana this year, according to the Fodor’s travel website.
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What: Krampus: A Haunted Christmas
When: 7 to 11 p.m. today and Saturday
Where: Fear Fair, 800 A Ave. East, Seymour
Tickets: Start at $24.99
Feature: Get your photo taken with Krampus, the demonic beast of Christmas. Get up close and personal as he towers over you with his sharp teeth and horns.
Information: fearfair.com or krampushauntedchristmas.com/indiana
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