Brian Hagberg
CHERRY GROVE, Pa. – Those looking for a Halloween scare will have another day to brave the ghouls, ghosts, and goblins during the 2nd Annual Cherry Grove Haunted Hayride Oct. 21, 27, and 28.
Hayrides will be available from 7 – 11 p.m. each day, though riders must be registered by 10 p.m., for $5 per person. The event, which benefits the Sheffield football program, was so popular in its inaugural season that organizers decided to add an extra day this year.
“We had we had an incredible turnout,” Savannah Cochran said. “We didn’t know what to expect. It was kind of thrown together last minute last year. I think we started with like two trackers. And I’m having to call three other ones in because there was just hundreds of people there.”
Cochran said the event would have had an extra Friday ride on Oct. 20, but the Wolverines have a road game which takes away some of the actors . . . and potential scare victims.
“It’s incredibly fun, especially when the group of cheerleaders come through. And they’re knocking each other down crying, screaming, it’s great, you know,” Cochran said with a laugh. “So it’s fun. And the fact that it’s going to our football program makes it better.”
Cochran said she was approached by Mike Barr, Cherry Grove VFD Chief and Sheffield head coach, about creating the event as a fundraiser.
“He approached us last year about doing one because we did one for the PTO when my son was in kindergarten or first grade,” Cochran said. “And then when he aged out, and then COVID hits, we didn’t do it for a couple years. So when he approached me about it, I was like, ‘Alright, cool.’”
The ride will begin and end at the Cherry Grove VFD, where food and beverages will be available for purchase inside. The event poster cautions that strobe lights are used and there are some tripping hazards along the walking trail.
“They’ll sign up inside the fire hall,” Cochran said. “There’ll be food in there and stuff. But then they’ll get on the hay wagon, and they’ll go down the one road down to the cemetery, and they’ll come back up and they get dropped off to walk the trail. You don’t have walk trail, if you can’t, and you want to just do the hayride part, that’s fine. But the trail is a little bit longer this year.”
After a successful first showing, Cochran has no doubt people will turn out in droves for the sequel.
“It’s always incredible being a part of anything in this community because everyone always shows up. Always,” Cochran said. “The whole the whole community shows up and it’s awesome.”
