Davis Life Sep. 19, 2010 • A11
Scream early, scream often September busiest time of year for Davis co-owners of Nightmare on 13th
SOME of the actors from Nightmare on 13th. (Courtesy photo).
BY JENNIFFER WARDELL Clipper Staff Writer SALT LAKE CITY — Halloween may still be a month away, but the ghosts and ghouls have already started the party. This was the opening weekend for Nightmare on 13th, the Salt Lake City haunted house owned by Davis County residents Troy Barber and Mike Henry. With the first wave of crowds coming, training wrapping up, advertising kicking off and final details on the attraction being polished up, the
Nightmare is going full-speed. “The next three weeks will be the busiest of the entire year,” he said, speaking to the Bountiful Rotary recently. “After about the first week of October things begin to slow down and enable us to get in a groove for the final month of operation.” The haunted attraction, which has been recognized by the Travel Channel and made the cover of Haunted Attraction Magazine, started in 1990 with a storage unit full of Halloween props and the wood dividers used to mark the route in extremely basic haunted houses. They set up shop on 600 South and 400 West, taking
their turns spooking the customers. “Honestly, there was nothing to it,” said Barber. “We just jumped out and said ‘Boo.’” Soon afterward they moved to their current spot on 1300 South just off of 300 West, changing their name from Institute of Terror to Nightmare on 13th after Sept. 11. The old Halloween props have also been replaced by the brand-new scares Barber and Henry discovered at haunted house trade shows. This year’s collection includes an anti-gravity chamber and a decomposing crypt, but there are some
classics that never go out of style. “The chainsaw always gets people,” said Barber. “And we installed the spinning tunnel several years ago, but everyone still loves it.” Still, there’s no magic formula. “There are some general things to keep in mind like startling and building anticipation, but people are scared by different things,” he said. “One person will say something got them, but for the person next to them in line it will be something entirely different.” No matter what
scares are on the agenda, however, the attraction is definitely a family affair. Barber used to scare with his dad and brothers in the older versions of the house, and these days he has a daughter running some of the attractions and two sons who act every weekend. As for his younger kids, they’ve already picked up the spirit of the place. “They love the house and want to talk about it year round,” said Barber with a laugh. “It is pretty hard to top me at career day at the grade school.” jwardell@davisclipper.com
BY JENNIFFER WARDELL Clipper Staff Writer DAVIS COUNTY — With the first official day of fall just around the corner, local groups are offering some different ways to say hello to the new season. The Utah Botanical Center’s Farmer’s Market is having an Everything Apples celebration on Sept. 23 starting at 6 p.m., complete with activities designed to honor the fruit’s bounty this time of year. A few days later, the Center-
ville Trails Committee will be looking for the first signs of fall color with their Sept. 25 half-day hike starting at 8 a.m. The Everything Apple event will include an apple pie eating contest starting at 7 p.m.There will be a prize for the winner. Also included will be an apple dessert contest for kids, teens and adults. Anyone interested in baking their own apple treat should bring it to the market by 6 p.m., along with a copy of their recipe. Judging for each general age category will be sep-
arate and start at 6:30 p.m. , with the winners set to be announced at 7:15 p.m. “We’re pretty excited about this,” said Summer Program Coordinator April Clark. The Sept. 25 hike is suggested only for the more experienced hiker, which means that the slightly less-tread parts of nature are on the agenda. Hikers are to bring their own food and water, and meet at 850 East and 100 South.
Courtesy Photo
County offers ways to say hello to fall
FALL OFFERINGS include a hike in Centerville (above) and Everything Apples in Kaysville.