Every year around Halloween, the Lakewood High School music department haunts its way over to Spooky Ranch. They go in filled with anticipation of scares and screams, but end up growing as a community.
Spooky Ranch is home to three major and famous haunted houses: Extreme Nightmares, Monster Vision and the Bloodslingers Saloon.
“My favorite part of going to Spooky Ranch was the haunted houses because I’m someone who loves to be spooked,” said choir member Alex Watts.
Alex Watts’ favorite haunted house at Spooky Ranch is the Monster Vision. Spooky Ranch heightens the fear level by making this Haunted House 3D. Before stepping into the neon gates of doom, you are handed a pair of 3D glasses and begin your nightmare. Monster Vision is a clown-themed circus designed with neon colors and graphics to make your vision and senses distorted: the perfect environment for a jump scare. Alex’s favorite part is the spinning tunnel, which you must escape to reach the end.
But Spooky Ranch has more to offer than just haunted houses. Spooky Ranch is home to the world-famous haunted hayride. As you slowly drive through the dark forest, Spooky Ranch creates a frightful experience with lights, fog, sets and scare actors. The 25-minute ride takes you through graveyards, deserted towns, and eerie darkness, sure to send shivers down your spine. The most anticipated scare is from the Michael Jackson impersonator dancing to “Thriller.”
While Spooky Ranch might seem thrilling and dreadful, it is an event meant to bring students and teachers together. On The Haunted Hayride, students of all ages, instruments and backgrounds sit together in a pile of hay and laughter. As the actors jump out and the special effects are used, all students get to experience the same event, which initiates and harbors the building blocks of a community. Being squished together in a small tractor, students are able to bond and create new friendships.
“It helped me get to know people better, especially when it was my first year in choir and I didn’t know anyone yet,” said student Sophia Williams.
But the music department wouldn’t be anything without its three fabulous and dedicated music teachers: Clinton Steinbrunner, Rayna Brooks and Michael Dandron. Each year, the leaders of the Music Department chaperone the event not only for the spooky surprises, but to be part of the community building.
“It is important to do things as a department that aren’t performance-based, because people have friends in other ensembles and it’s just nice to get out with people who do the same things,” said Choir Director, Rayna Brooks.
Because the music department is separated into three wings — band, choir and orchestra — Spooky Ranch is cherished for bringing students from each section together. At Spooky Ranch, it is not just the cello section or flutes sitting together; it is a mix of people and musicians who share a common interest in making music and forming new relationships.
The most cherished part of the evening is returning to the dedicated campsite after hours of running through the houses and riding the hayride. At the campsite, students and teachers huddle around a glowing, warm fire to share new and old stories, some funny, and some scary. Around the fire, it is an annual tradition for students to make s’mores and eagerly share treats with their new friends. For students of all grades, the fire pit is the most memorable part of the evening, as they sit together as one whole community, making it an unforgettable tradition.
“I felt really connected with the music department as a whole, and I was grateful to have this opportunity that I wouldn’t have had if it weren’t for the Lakewood Music Boosters and the music department,” said Alex Watts.
While the frights and scares are the main attraction at Spooky Ranch, students and teachers leave with new friends, memories, and a strong sense of community that feels immortal.
