Haunted Camp Lancer rises again

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Sarah Denewellis
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

Ellsworth residents are in for a fright on Halloween night as Haunted Camp Lancer makes its return for a second year on Oct. 31, 2017.

Haunted Camp Lancer is a haunted house open to all military members, dependents, retirees and DoD civilians.

Run and funded entirely by volunteers, this one-night-only attraction caters to both adults and families looking for a little less scare.

“I think it’s going to be a huge success this year,” said Tech. Sgt. Jacqueline Chant, chief of plans and programs assigned to the 28th Communications Squadron and the mastermind behind Haunted Camp Lancer’s creation. “It’s at an early enough time where families can come and then go off and do trick-or-treating afterward. The scary portion doesn’t start until almost nightfall. We have events for everything, everyone, and all age groups.”

The event will consist of two parts, with the more child-friendly Trunk or Treat from 4 to 5:30 p.m. During this time, children and their families are free to explore Haunted Camp Lancer with the lights on and spooks kept to a minimum.

“Trunk or Treat is a pretty great idea. I think it will be a big success here,” said Staff Sergeant Adrian Banks, an operations manager assigned to the 28th Force Support Squadron and a volunteer for the event. “The Trunk or Treat, in conjunction with the haunted house, is great because you don’t have to come out at two separate times or two separate days. It’s an all in one day”

Then, from 6 to 9 p.m. the lights turn off and the scares come out.

Because Haunted Camp Lancer is made up of several small buildings, each room has been given to a different volunteer group to decorate and “haunt.” Visitors to the haunted house will get to experience all their creative and horrifying genius combined as they make their way through the attraction.

“I hope those who want to get scared out of their wits get scared out of their minds. We are going to set the precedence and hopefully we are going to set the bar pretty high,” Banks said, whose room is one of the first that visitors will pass through. “I think it’s going to be a great yield. It was a great turnout last year, so I’m expecting it to be bigger this year.”

While relatively new to the area, the event’s organizers have high hopes for its success.

“I wanted to do a haunted house because there wasn’t really anything last year that was close by, convenient and safe,” Chant said. “I wanted something fun and nearby.”