West Hartford’s Wolcott Elementary School will hold its annual ‘Haunted Forest’ event on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.

By Sean Burns

While the weather this week might not feel like it, spooky season is officially upon us, and the stage is set for the return of the annual Haunted Forest event to the woods of Wolcott Park. This family-friendly evening of ghouls, goblins and good times features a series of spooky (or silly) scenes put together by students at Wolcott Elementary School on Saturday, Oct. 26.

An annual fundraiser organized by volunteers from Wolcott’s PTO, the Haunted Forest runs from 5-8 p.m. and is open to all who wish to attend. The event is purposefully less frightening from 5-6 p.m. for families with younger kids, but the scares get turned up for older kids once the sun goes down at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $8 per individual, or $30 per family and can be purchased at the event using cash or digital payments (via the Zeffy payment system). Tickets can also be pre-purchased – visit WolcottPTO.org for information and a link to buy yours before you head out Saturday.

Scenes in the past have featured an array of themes – from witches preparing their newest concoction to macabre dinner settings with unique menu choices to group homages to films like Coco, Barbie, and Beetlejuice. There’s no shortage of jump scares for those who dare to enter the forest after 6 p.m., though everything is intended to be suitable for the elementary/middle age groups that form the bulk of the attendance along with some returning Wolcott students currently at Conard and beyond.

“Wolcott is all about traditions, and one of most popular and well-attended ones is our beloved Haunted Forest,” says Wolcott Principal Scott P. Dunn. “It’s wonderful to see families-past and present-visit the Children’s Forest for a night of fun together. The scenes that students and families create are so engaging and creative!”

A labor of love for the Wolcott community for over a decade, the Haunted Forest brings together students, parents and faculty. Many families have created scenes together for many years as siblings passed through the Wolcott Elementary doors, and some teachers have been serving as “ghostbuster” tour guides at the event since its inception. Its return in 2022 after a brief COVID-19 interlude saw well over 1,000 take on the forest tour. Last fall’s event saw nearly that many, even after the event was postponed due to poor weather.”[Haunted Forest] takes a lot of hard work and coordination but together it works and, together we are stronger and can do great things to benefit the Wolcott community,” says Emily Weckman, one of this year’s event organizers, alongside husband Bill Weckman and longtime event leaders Brooks and Jenny Fischer.

Wolcott Haunted Forest 2022. Photo credit: Sean Burns (we-ha.com file photo)

“This is a great option for a local and fun family night,” Weckman says. “Whether you are 5 or 95, your night will be filled with laughter and screams.”

Local businesses supporting the event as sponsors for 2024 include Premier Improvements Solar, Webster Building and Development, Lynx Systems Llc, Consulting Cardiologists of West Hartford, Wings Over West Hartford, Mathnasium, Marchion & Faucher, BJ’s, Big Y, Rogers Orchards, and Cineoplis Luxury Cinemas.

Wolcott Elementary School is located at 71 Wolcott Road. The Haunted Forest event is centered on the northern side of the school campus, adjacent to the woods between the school and Wolcott Park. For more information, visit WolcottPTO.org or email the PTO at wolcottelementary@gmail.com. In the event of inclement weather, the Haunted Forest would be held on Sunday, Oct. 27.

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