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The Haunted Barn of Grandview celebrates another spooktacular Halloween season

The Haunted Barn continues to grow and has proven immensely popular in its third year.
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Corey Kozack, Claudia Kozack and Loretta Weisgarber pose next to the Haunted Barn of Grandview’s new 12-foot-tall skeleton. Shaela Dansereau/ Pipestone Flyer.

The Haunted Barn of Grandview located in the Summer Village of Grandview at Pigeon Lake, Alta., has revived itself for its third annual season as a community favourite fundraiser.

Every year since it’s creation the Halloween hot spot raises money for the local elementary school, Lakedell School.

The Haunted Barn, put on annually in October by Grandview local family, the Kozacks and a team of volunteers, is looking forward to it’s final run of the season on Halloween weekend.

The barn only has two more nights left for the season, running Friday Oct. 29, 2021 and Saturday Oct. 30, 2021 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Costumes are encouraged and there is a concession on site. Hand sanitizer, face coverings, and social distancing is mandatory.

A regular season favourite for County of Wetaskiwin locals, the barn has seen an increase in visitors this year from across the province and beyond. Corey Kozack says that this year one family even came from Saskatchewan and made Grandview one of their stops.

The Kozacks say that this year the barn has seen a lot of people from Red Deer and Leduc, Atla., as well.

Open weekends in October, Kozack says, “every night its been steady.” He says they have been averaging around 200 to 250 people coming to the local haunt every night they are open.

“We’ve been crazy busy this year.”

Kozack says that there are a lot more volunteers this year, most of which have taken over the barn scares as characters in disguise.

He says that something that has been really rewarding this year is that some of the volunteers are very introverted, but have been loving dressing up and being part of the ‘scare team’ in the barn. He says that it is fantastic to see them come out of their shell a bit.

One of the barn’s regular volunteers Loretta Weisgarber says, “it’s nice seeing this next generation volunteer.”

She says some of their volunteers are Lakedell School students and they help out with everything from scares, to the concession and handing out candy.

On Oct. 16, 2021, the Haunted Barn dedicated a night to fundraise for New Humble School in Calmar, Alta. Kozack says that night they had almost 600 people come through.

Before Halloween weekend Kozack says that the fundraising amounts raised for Lakedell School and Lakedell Preschool is double that of last year. He says that if they tally in the amount also earned for New Humble School raised on Oct. 16, 2021 then the fundraising total almost triples last year.

In addition to more visitors, the barn itself has expanded its spooky thrills this October.

“The barn is a lot bigger than it was last year,” says Kozack. “It’s the biggest it’s ever been.”

The haunted attraction has been extended by a hallway and a half, much of which is filled with new animatronics and scare opportunities.

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More has been added to the yard as well including massive inflatable’s and a 12-foot-animated skeleton which Kozack had to travel all the way to Grande Prairie for.

One challenge this year Kozack wasn’t planning on encountering was the shortage of Halloween animatronics. He says that because of the pandemic more and more people have fed into their collections resulting in stores selling out quickly. This also caused delays of some of the animatronics arrivals to the barn- some only arriving last weekend. However, this means that a new section of the barn that wasn’t available at the beginning of the month is ready to go for Halloween weekend.

Also new to the Haunted Barn of Grandview is their official logo designed by local couple and graphic designers, Olivier Du Tré and Dorianne Bamber.

Kozack says that something that has been really rewarding this year is that some of the volunteers are very introverted, but have been loving dressing up and being part of the ‘scare team’ in the barn. He says that it is fantastic to see them come out of their shell a bit.

One of this year’s scarers working the barn for a night was Lakedell School Principal Donald Teplyske. The Kozacks say that he loves it, but Teplyske’s students at Lakedell that come through love it even more once they find out later it was their principal scaring them.

To visit the Haunted Barn of Grandview a minimum cash donation of $5 per person is requested to help the barn meet its objective—to fundraise for Lakedell School and Lakedell Preschool.

Before Halloween weekend Corey Kozack says that the fundraising amounts raised for Lakedell School and Lakedell Preschool is double that of last year. He says that if they tally in the amount also earned for New Humble School raised on Oct. 16, 2021 then the fundraising total almost triples last year.

To visit the Haunted Barn of Grandview a minimum cash donation of $5 per person is requested to help the barn meet its objective—to fundraise for Lakedell School and Lakedell Preschool.

This year the barn added an additional adult night to the October line up. Kozack says having two adult nights this year rather than one was a big hit, and even on Oct. 23, 2021 when the weather was not ideal in the slightest, there was still a hearty crowd.

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Kozack says that the community and its businesses have really stepped up and shown support- including the donation of over a thousand bags of candies which is used for the candy bags that each child visiting the barn receives.

The barn is open to all ages- although small children may want to enjoy the Halloween walk on the “spooky forest” path set up outside and the outdoor Halloween decorations as the barn itself is very frightening.

Claudia Kozack says that this year’s guests have been phenomenal when it comes to following COVID-19 rules and have been very respectful about social distancing and keeping to their social bubbles.

To further ensure that social distancing is maintained, this year the barn has a camera set up which allows the volunteers to know when to send the next group through the barn and give them ample space away from others already in the barn.

Separate from the fundraising there is horse drawn wagon rides for $5 located beside the Kozack’s property for an extra touch of autumn entertainment.

“At the end of the day we just want everyone to come out and have a lot of fun with it—and raise some money for our schools, that’s the main thing,” says Corey Kozack.

“I’m hoping people come out and I really hope they enjoy themselves.”



shaela.dansereau@pipestoneflyer.ca

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Corey Kozack poses in the entrance of the Haunted Barn of Grandview. Shaela Dansereau/ Pipestone Flyer.
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A view inside the Haunted Barn of Grandview. Shaela Dansereau/ Pipestone Flyer.
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A view inside the Haunted Barn of Grandview. Shaela Dansereau/ Pipestone Flyer.
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New to the Haunted Barn of Grandview is their official logo designed by local couple and graphic designers, Olivier Du Tré and Dorianne Bamber. Shaela Dansereau/ Pipestone Flyer.