Never Fear...Hauntfest Is Here!

The Oregon District Once Again Hosts A Haunting Halloween

It is once again that time of year when the moon eerily shines through the gnarled branches and the air turns colder, chilling your bones, and the fallen leaves skitter and dance along the cobblestone streets. It is a time for fear and magic, where the frightful and the fantastic share the night. It is time...for Hauntfest. This perennial party is what has regionally defined Halloween, and this year will be no different...well, except for some changes.

While in years past, revelers had to wait through a seemingly arduous admission process that would leave them standing in long lines as they paid the entrance fee and had their ID checked. This year, however, you will not be forced to shuffle and curse, waiting impatiently as you hear the cacophonous roar of other party goers from within the District.

Well, here's what we've done.” explained Joe Waizmann, coordinator for this year's Hauntfest, during a recent phone interview. “The two principle entrance areas are at Fifth and Wayne and just beyond Fifth and Patterson and then a small entrance area on Jackson, just down from Wayne. So, what we've done there is those are admission points only. So, we're streamlining that. Also, all of the local Oregon District taverns are offering pre-sale tickets for the same price ($5) and we'll have a streamlined admission process for those who have advance tickets in hand. We're instituting that to try and get some of the people in as quickly as possible.”

One of the things that has streamlined this process is that, instead of going through the ID process during admission, the ID stations are positioned at each of the six beer stations, where patrons can also purchase tickets for beer. Another innovation is something that will surely become a staple of the Hauntfest for years to come.

“A new feature this year is that we're actually doing a craft beer and wine garden.” Waizmann went on to say that, “We're doing some higher end beers with six drafts and six bottled and then we'll probably do upwards of six wines as well. The beer and wine garden will be located at Pine and Fifth in that big parking lot in front of Clear Channel.”

Beside the incredibly costumes and the raucous revelry, the Hauntfest has also become know for its eclectic entertainment, and this year is no exception. A stage will be set up at one end of Fifth St. while WTUE's Kegger will take up a position on the opposite end of the district. Skilless Villians, with their self described sense of Free Style Rock and Roll will share the stage with power pop/post punk band The Story Changes.

Another innovation in entertainment is that EGO Pro Wrestling Team will be hosting wrestling matches...in full costume. Who hasn't wanted to see Grandma hitting the Big Bad Wolf with an arm bar or having Frankenstein Powerbomb the Wolfman?

Hauntfest screams into the Oregon District October 31st from 7:00pm until 1:00am. Admission is only $5 and, as stated before, presale tickets are available at various Oregon District establishments and all proceeds from the event benefit the Oregon District's infrastructure improvements on Fifth St. As an added bonus, you won't have to stay in the dungeon at the end of the night as Crowne Plaza will be offering rooms for the frighteningly low rate of $69.

(This article appeared in the Dayton City Paper on October 28th, 2009. This is the article as it was originally written.)