For anyone who has visited Farmer Ted's adventure farm for a family friendly day out, the transformation at Halloween for Farmageddon could not be starker.
Halloween is a great opportunity for seasonal events, but some farms have opted for something a little different than just a pumpkin patch.
The Ormskirk farm, which boasts the UK's only Shaun the Sheep attraction, alongside a range of children's activities such as tractor rides, soft play and animals, becomes a fear fest in October for over 16s.
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For farmers with barns which could be utilised for seasonal events, and those who have already diversified into farm attractions, Halloween can be a great opportunity to attract in a different crowd for a nighttime event looking for a different night out.
Halloween
A farm is a perfect location, generally away from residential areas for noise, with plenty of space for the attractions and opportunities for themes.
Visitors are looking for an immersive experience, with Farmageddon providing effective scenery and staging as well as a large number of people involved, from those playing the characters to security and hospitality staff.
Location may also be an important consideration, with Farmageddon situated in Ormskirk, just down the road from Edge Hill University and within easy distance of Manchester, Liverpool and their surrounding towns, as well as ample room for parking.
The attraction has four ‘scare houses' providing a twist on the classic haunted house, alongside live music, food trucks, fairground rides and zombie paintball.
While the scare houses took around 2 hours to complete, there was plenty on offer to make a full night of it.
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First up on the visit was the Beast of Terror haunted house. During the queuing for the house, there were dancers with rock music, to put guests into the right mood.
Visitors travelled around a labyrinth of corridors, with jump scares around every corner.
3D glasses were given out for the Contagion attraction, giving a surreal look to the luminescent painted walls and floors, and adding to the effect. Those with coulrophobia, or a fear of clowns, should give this one a miss.
There was a more agricultural theme for the maze of death, with a Halloween reimagining of the Wizard of Oz, from the scarecrows looking for a brain, yours of course, to a blood covered Dorothy, all trying to confuse and direct you until you hopefully escaped out of the maze of fences.
The meat locker took a different direction, with guests first locked in before being greeted by a butcher, with the characters promising more chainsaws than ever before.
The stars of the show were the committed actors who very much embraced their roles. Wandering around the park were various horror characters, from a ghostbuster and Freddy Krueger to Donald Trump, complete with ear bandage.
Farmageddon
While there were queues for many of the attractions, the characters provided some entertainment for those waiting with DJs, dancers and music also on site, as well as providing photo opportunities with no cameras allowed inside the attractions themselves.
There were also fairground rides, although this was not included in the ticket price. And at night, the funfair gives a rather different vibe to the childhood memories of summer fun.
A paintball ‘warzone' was also available, preparing those taking part for the ‘imminent threat of a global zombie plague' with strobe lights, pyrotechnics, searchlights, special effects and water cannons.
For those needing a chance to calm down their heart rate after experiencing the scares, food was available from food trucks, with hot drinks also on offer as well as bars serving alcohol. Although, be warned, guests trying to enjoy some fish and chips or a doughnut may find themselves joined at the table by one of the fearsome characters wandering around.
