On a rainy night in late October, I felt a whipping wind, a sprinkle of rain and an eerie chill creeping on the back of my neck as I walked towards the entrance of the Dead End Hayride in Wyoming, Minnesota. My friends, Ava, Claire, Grace, Molly and Joy gathered near a large wooden desk to get our tickets.
I don’t enjoy scary things. But I hoped a hayride would be bearable.
“It’s raining. What if we didn’t go in?” I asked, but my friends ushered me forward.
The line to board the hayride stretched into a maze in front of us. Creepy foes wandered among our group: a name-calling zombie, a mute ghost and a doll that grabbed the ankles of unsuspecting line-goers.
The ghost peered around Claire’s shoulder, his mouth agape, with paint smeared across his face and long dark robes flowing in the wind. Claire stood still with her eyes closed tightly, trying to giggle away the fright. Soon, the six of us climbed aboard the ride and sat on hay bales damp from the rain.
The hayride wound through the dark woods of Wyoming, passing through different realms of fear: cannibal farms, chainsaw central and clown country. I plugged my ears and screamed when chainsaw carriers rushed onto the ride, clinging to Ava as the creepy clowns crawled around us.
We rode through the dark until the ride abruptly stopped along the edge of the woods. All the passengers hurried off, forced to find our way back through the forest with only haunted attractions as a guiding light.
After screaming and laughing at the various attractions for two hours, we reached the end of the hayride. Photo opportunities and food trucks formed an autumnal village. We sipped hot apple cider in the drizzling rain and ran into the ghost again. He took our group photo.
Then, we sprinted back to the car as the wind howled and the rain came down harder. The eerie chill down my back had been replaced with flushed cheeks from laughing during a night well spent.
Fall events to check out around Minnesota:
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- What: Pick apples, stop by the goat farm, enjoy a wagon ride and more.
- When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day from August until October.
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- Where: 6428 Manning Ave, Stillwater.
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- What: Experience a hayride packed with horror and jump scares. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. Ticket prices vary.
- When: Most evenings from Friday, Sept. 20 through Saturday, Nov 2. Closed some weekdays (see calendar online).
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- Where: 28186 Kettle River Blvd N, Wyoming.
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- What: The city of Anoka, the Halloween capital of the world, invites you to see its most spookily decorated Halloween houses. Free to attend.
- When: Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
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- Where: Surrounding neighborhoods within a five mile radius of City Hall. 2015 1st Ave, Anoka.
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- What: Take an evening stroll down a path lit by thousands of uniquely carved pumpkins at the Minnesota Zoo. Seasonal sweets and drinks will be available for purchase. Tickets must be purchased online ahead of time and range between 18 to 26 dollars for adults.
- When: Evenings from Saturday, Sept. 28 to Wednesday, Nov. 2.
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- Where: The Minnesota Zoo. 13000 Zoo Boulevard, Apple Valley.
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- What: Nowhere Entertainment presents a terrifying haunted house experience Multiple intensity levels will be available to choose between. Tickets may be purchased online or at the door and prices vary.
- When: Open Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Fridays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. now through Oct. 31.
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- Where: Nowhere Entertainment. 5300 Robert Trl #200, Inver Grove Heights
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- What: Wander through the Twin Cities’ largest corn maze and enjoy many more attractions including a farm market, a pumpkin patch, live music, food trucks and more. Free admission and tickets available for 14 dollars to access specific attractions.
- When: Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Sept. 21 through Oct. 27.
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- Where: 8001 109th Ave N, Brooklyn Park.
