West Hartford’s Wolcott Elementary School will hold its annual ‘Haunted Forest’ event on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023. [Note new date due to forecast of rain.]
Wolcott Haunted Forest 2022. Photo credit: Sean Burns
By Sean Burns
On Sunday evening, the Wolcott Children’s Forest will come alive with ghosts and ghouls of all kinds once more – thanks to the Haunted Forest event’s return. The family-friendly night of frights and fun will feature spooky scenes run by students at the elementary school, plus some roving scares as the night gets darker.
Open to all, the Haunted Forest is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 22 from 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $8 per person, with a family maximum of $30. Refreshments will be available for purchase, with all proceeds from the Haunted Forest benefiting the Wolcott PTO and future events at the school. The event is cash-only.
In the Haunted Forest, Wolcott students and their families will have set up various “scenes” to frighten and delight, each with its own unique flair. Those who dare to attend will be guided through the forest paths by brave “ghostbuster” volunteers (Wolcott teachers and parents), whose sole task is to make sure everyone who enters the forest with them makes it out.
Wolcott Haunted Forest 2022. Photo credit: Sean Burns
Scenes in years past have included creepy doll scenes, macabre dinner settings, and roaming spooks, but also dance numbers, wisecracking witches, and a full-neighborhood recasting of the characters from the film Coco. As is tradition, the first hour of Haunted Forest will feature a less-frightening version of the forest walk, suitable for those families with younger children. Once the sun goes down, the scares will get turned up, for those who dare.
“Wolcott School is known for its traditions, and one of the most popular and well-attended is our Haunted Forest,” says Wolcott Elementary principal Scott Dunn. “It’s a great opportunity for our families to visit the Children’s Forest and be entertained with amazing scenes created by our students and their families.”
For the past two years, Haunted Forest has seen record-shattering attendance from both within the Wolcott community and its alumni, and from other areas of West Hartford and beyond.
“We had such a great time [at Haunted Forest,” said Sara Demos Avery following the 2022 event, the first since 2019 due to pandemic-related restrictions. “Our kids are at very different ages (two in pre-K, one in third grade, and another at Sedgwick), but the Haunted Forest was something they could all enjoy in their own way.”
In addition to the forest walk itself, Sunday’s event will feature a concession area in the field next to the school where families and kids can grab a treat (doughnuts, cotton candy and popcorn are typically available, as is cider) and socialize. For the second consecutive year, there will also be a film playing projected on a large portable screen in the field at the school throughout for entertainment before and after the forest walk itself.
So, whether you or your kids are horror-junkies looking for a good jump-scare, or simply want to enjoy an early light-fright before grabbing some cider and catching up with friends, the Wolcott Haunted Forest has something for everyone to enjoy.
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 [email protected].
Wolcott Haunted Forest 2022. Photo credit: Sean Burns
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