Little ghouls and goblins can enjoy hours of spooky fun during New Horizon Mall’s (NHM) upcoming Halloween Children’s Party Oct. 19, in partnership with the mall’s latest attraction, Haunted Calgary.
“We think it’s a great opportunity to bring your kids into somewhere warm a couple of weeks before Halloween and enjoy [Haunted Calgary’s] Family Fright Thrill Zone…and really see what Haunted Calgary is all about,” said Alexandra Winn, NHM’s marketing manager.
The party will take place between 1 and 3 p.m., Winn said, and will give families a chance to enjoy the Family Fright Thrill Zone for free. Normally, admission to the Family Fright Thrill Zone is $10 per person over the age of three, according to Christine Campbell, creative director for Haunted Calgary Productions Inc.
During the event, Campbell said, families will have access to Halloween-themed bouncy castles, mini-golf, arts and crafts, and games like “Banshee Bowling” and “Witch Hat Ring Toss.” Above all, she added, families will get to experience “a little bit of spookiness” with a small walkthrough of a haunted display.
“We have a little something for everybody,” Campbell said. “I think everybody’s going to be entertained whether you have little ones…right up to tweens, teens and even adults.”
The event will also provide teens and adults a small preview of Haunted Calgary’s main three attractions – Cesspool, Sanitorium and Deep Sleep Hotel. While those scary attractions won’t be open, party attendees will be able to discuss them with members of Haunted Calgary and see the façades.
This is NHM’s first year partnering with Haunted Calgary, which previously operated its Halloween attraction in Calgary’s residential community of Rocky Ridge. Having outgrown that site, Campbell said, the attraction was offered the use of NHM’s heated underground parkade. Haunted Calgary is very appreciative of its new partnership, she said, and is showing its gratitude by participating in the Halloween Children’s Party.
“It was a great fit for us to…build that community spirit through NHM’s event, and of course, it’s also a big thank you to them for hosting us here,” she said. “It’s been amazing working with them.”
Upstairs, meanwhile, the event will also feature a candy giveaway, Winn said, and children are encouraged to dress up in their Halloween costumes to trick-or-treat at the mall’s shops.
“I definitely would encourage kids to bring their pillowcases, so they’ve got a place to put all the candy that those stores are giving away,” she said.
While NHM hosted a fall festival last year, Winn said the upcoming event is the mall’s first exclusive Halloween event.
“[The fall festival] had great success, and we saw a great opportunity to partner with this awesome attraction we have in our parkade and do it again,” she said.
By holding weekend community events like the Halloween Children’s Party, Winn said NHM wants to promote itself as a place not only to shop but also an entertainment destination.
