KENTVILLE – You may have seen news report videos about a certain toy factory disaster and toys that have been popping up around Kentville. And if you aren’t afraid, then you probably should be.
A creepy narrative has been constructed and will be told at this year’s ‘B. A. Fraid Toy Factory’ haunted house, constructed by The Creep Crew in Kentville’s Canada Post office basement.
Crew lead Susan Escott said this year’s haunt follows the narrative of Robert A. Fraid, a man who lost his wife and daughter when they didn’t return from a visit with her parents. He searched for them, but only found his daughter’s toy doll, covered in blood.
As a tribute to his daughter, the father decided to start a toy factory. That is when things went horribly wrong, recounts Escott.
“Then there was this incident, all of a sudden in 1958, where something happened – a big flash – and all the employees were hauled into the equipment and never to be seen again. The government hushed it all up, and nobody ever talked about it again,” she says.
It’s a narrative that packs a punch and is told over five videos – four filmed as news reports – showing toys mysteriously popping up around Kentville. The videos are also part of the crew’s approach to building an interactive haunted house designed to pull visitors into its story.
“The videos help a person’s imagination get going. It can really take off from there,” says Escott.
The haunting event got its initial start five years ago after Escott crafted a haunted house in her own garage. It quickly outgrew its space, and has since been held at the post office.
The building’s entrance features a staircase that echoes eerily as people walk down the stairs under red lighting to the haunted house, which Escott says sets the mood perfectly to get spooked.
Around 1500 people normally visit the event, which is in its fifth year, but Escott says this year could see even more due to the videos’ popularity.
And while the event theme changes year after year, some things never do – like the rooms that serve up the biggest scares. While dark corners and tight spaces are a surefire to cause screams, Escott says it’s also the waiting room that always takes people by surprise.
“People aren’t sure what’s going on when they set there. That’s where the interactive nature comes in again – your sense of control is gone from the very beginning,” says Escott.
The event runs each Friday and Saturday night this October from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. All funds raised are donated to Misfit Manor Dog Rescue and Open Arms.
