The New York State Fairgrounds boasts a spooky display for the Halloween season. Its haunted house attraction, appropriately named “Fright Nights at the Fair,” consists of five themed haunted houses. The Fright Nights changes the themes of its haunted houses each year in order to maximize scares — it’s now in its 14th year.

The houses this year are Revenge of “IT,” The Myers House, Jurassic Dark, Dead Pirates and The Haunted Mansion. Each attraction is carefully decorated with dark and creepy props, as well as equally creepy actors who jump out at every turn.

Walking into the Cattle Barn, the large, open space is dimly lit with daunting background music. The haunted houses are along the far side of the barn and characters from each of the houses roam around the middle space. It’s no surprise if Michael Myers creeps up or if a clown holding a chainsaw appears.

In the center of the space, a cloaked man holding a large scythe stands in front of a hearse, with a coffin to his left and a bright light shining directly above him. His spectacle is a photo-op exclusively for Instagram opportunities, staff member Tony Harris said.

“I came here first as a patron, and they asked me if I wanted to work here because of my size,” Harris said — he’s more than 6-foot-tall.

Although Harris said Fright Nights doesn’t quite compare to the grandeur of the Universal Studios Halloween extravaganza in Florida, he said they do “really, really care about getting the scare here (in Syracuse).”

One thrill-seeker, Grover Austin, recently accompanied his niece and her two friends to the event, where they opted for the full, five-house tour. They all agreed it had been a scary night, after only completing only two out of the five attractions.

Austin said he wasn’t able to go last year because he was working, but this year he made a point to schedule time to go — and the event definitely lived up to the hype.

The three girls dissolved into shrieks of delight when asked which of the houses had been their favorite so far. They pointed toward the Haunted Mansion, which they ranked the highest on their spook scale because of some “very spooky props.”

Renée Czerwiak, who supervises the line at the Dead Pirates house, also works behind the scenes. She is in charge of all set design, makeup and costumes for the entire Fright Nights production.

She used to do it for free, but when her husband, John Oliver — or Captain Jack Sparrow, as he introduced himself — got on board, they became full-fledged employees of the Fright Nights production team. Czerwiak said she loves Fright Nights because she’s “a weirdo,” and this is a place where she can be her full-on, weird self.

The Fright Nights production team is supported in part by The Icon Companies.  The company’s president, Grazi Zazzara, described the whole Fright Nights scene as “over the top.”

He said the best attraction this year is Jurassic Dark, with its full-sized dinosaurs imported from China. Zazzara and his team are trying to create a “different kind of haunt” for their patrons. Dead Pirates has 3D elements that patrons can see with 3D glasses given to them at the beginning of the attraction. The Revenge of “IT” house includes a series of vortex tunnels within the structure.  

Along with the many frights, there are also opportunities to grab a hot cup of coffee or cider and a donut. There are picnic tables to sit at while you enjoy a snack — as long as you don’t mind the shrieks of horror in the background.

Fright Nights at the Fair is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Admission is $25 to visit all five of the fair’s haunted houses, or $10 for one.

Published on October 23, 2018 at 8:43 pm