Kitsap County Haunted Fairgrounds Videos :: Bremerton

Our first haunted house was built on our field in 1995 by our family and friends. The goal was to have some fun and generate donations of cash and food to the Central Kitsap Food Bank. The first year we had about 400 people attend. We used dead trees and collected scab 2X4 and 2X6 framing lumber plus 4X8 plywood to make the house (about 4,000 square feet). We dug holes in the ground for graves (some were occupied with actors) and had a maze through the blackberry vines leading to the haunted house. We covered the house with black plastic and landscape fabric in an attempt to keep the rain out.

Once Halloween was over, we would tear it down and store any reusable items. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't! In 2000 or 2001 we had a major wind storm Halloween morning which peeled back the roof, demolishing the house. We lost a lot of stuff to water damage that year.

Two years after that we were invited to move our haunted house to the Kitsap County Fairgrounds and we became the Kitsap Haunted Fairgrounds. We now construct inside a 6,000 square foot building (a.k.a. Sheep Barn) which we use from Labor Day weekend (when we begin construction) to mid-November when we must have all the construction removed and stowed. Some of our proceeds were used to re-roof the building so it doesn't leak anymore and then a fire sprinkler system was installed because of county building regulations. We're working on the adjacent building (a.k.a. Cat Barn) so we can expand the event since we've "maxed-out" the Sheep Barn.

2008 was our sixth year as the Kitsap Haunted Fairgrounds. We had around 5,200 people attend this year. Our routine was open at 5pm to 6pm with lights on for families but at 6pm the lights went out and that's when the fun started. We closed each evening at 11pm. We were open October 16, 17, 24, 25, 31 and November 1.

Over the years people have come and gone. Unfortunately we're losing about eight really talented high school seniors to college next year so we'll need to do some recruiting. There's a core group of about ten of us who construct, paint and assemble and we have families who return year after year and stay involved. Some folks who participated years ago now have their kids helping and acting. Amidst all the work and frustrations, it's "cool" to look back and remember all we've done over the years. We've scared a bunch of folks out of their pants, literally. And we've put a lot of food in needy family's hands, too.

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