Allen’s Haunted Hayrides to host sensory-friendly event

It offers the fun of the normal presentation, but in a less frightening way.

Allen’s Haunted Hayrides in Smock, a beloved local attraction and family tradition since 1979, will host its third annual sensory-friendly night this Friday.

This special night was designed to accommodate individuals who may not normally get to enjoy a haunted attraction due to loud sounds, jump scares, flashing lights and large crowds.

It will be a lights-on event as well as no loud bangs, jump scares or fog. It will also be wheelchair and handicap accessible through the hayride/haunt, family oriented with service dogs only.

The ticket booth opens at 7 p.m., with tickets for the tavern and hayride being $20 each. A combination is $30, and reservations for the campfires can be made online at allenshayrides.com for $40.

“We have loaders that help get anyone up there in their wheelchair and we also have bales of straw just in case they want to get out of their wheelchair, they can walk up to or be carried to. We do whatever it is,” said Brandi Helms, social media manager for Allen’s Haunted Hayrides. “We want other haunts to get on the bandwagon with us, but we are the only ones that do it around here, and it’s not like we see them as competition. We would like for them to do the same and open their doors as well.”

The evening will begin at 6 p.m., and a dedication is set for 6:30 with local politicians and their families, which is new this year. Cookies, s’mores and cold beverages will be provided before the hayrides open up.

“That was an added-on thing that the Allens wanted to do this year,” Helms said. “We are going to have a few state representatives there and we’re going to serve cookies.”

Allen’s Haunted Hayride has been a staple in the community for 45 years, offering spooky entertainment and memorable experiences for families.

Helms said the sensoryfriendly night was started in the first place for families, and she wants to see people happy. A family friend reached out to see if her nephew with autism could go through their Tavern of Terror with the lights on and the music off.

The family friend posted to social media, and Helms said she wanted to continue to do this because of all of the great feedback they were getting.

“When we saw one kid enjoying it so much and then the outpour of people on that post of people who were like ‘Wow, how amazing could this be if this could happen,’” Helms said. “So we can’t even take credit for it — our community asked for it. They said they would love this and they said we’ll give it a shot. The community asked for it and we gave it to them, and now they have to help us keep it going.”

The event has been a huge success the last three years, with many families expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the spooky fun.

“Everybody is included. Families that normally wouldn’t get to do things together because they have to find a sitter for someone who may not like the haunted houses or whatnot, they can go and enjoy this as a family,” Helms said. “I am always thankful when we get to spend time with everybody because life is hectic anyway. I can only imagine these families that have these children with special needs how difficult it is to orchestrate a family get together.”

The addition of the Sensory Friendly Night adds to the attraction’s appeal, as it provides an opportunity for individuals who may not be able to participate in traditional haunted attraction events to still enjoy the Halloween season.

Helms said a doorman will be at the entrance of the tavern to let the scarers know what kind of group will be entering the haunted house — making sure to be aware of who is coming through their doors.

This year, Luke Hanmaker of Smock, who was diagnosed with autism, is excited to donate a bench to the Allen family as a result of collecting enough plastic. Hanmaker is best known for his generosity and love for keeping our planet clean.

“The family is amazing. He decided he wanted to start recycling, and he did such a great job with the recycling team down here that we want to donate a bench because he’s an awesome kid,” Helms said. “He just loves Halloween so much that he was like I want this bench to be at Allen’s. We kinda tied it all together for sensory-friendly night.”

Helms said there will be at least a hundred people at the event and that the kids in the haunted house are great with anyone who comes into the attraction.

“There’s adults too, but there are 16-year-old kids and they are just the coolest with these people,” Helms said. “Teenagers get a bad rep, but when it comes to this situation, they’re an angel. They’re so sincere, so not only are we helping the people who don’t usually get to enjoy these things, but we’re letting everyday people see what it is, that these are humans.”