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Haunted Huron
offers ghost walks and history to visitors -20081108
Posted By Susan Hundertmark
The Van Egmond House had the
most "spooktacular" results in the Seaforth-area
with 325 people visiting the historic building during Doors
Open Haunted Huron over the weekend.
"On the whole the weekend was really
good," says Huron East economic development officer Jan
Hawley.
"People really like the occult - that's
a real attraction and absolutely a good way to showcase Huron
East," she says.
Over 40 people came to listen to author Ron
Brown talk about his books on unusual tourist attractions
throughout Ontario and over 100 came to take in a ghost walk
on Seaforth's Main Street Friday night.
"We got families out on the street with
eerie music on a beautiful fall night but I'd love to do another
ghost walk with some scripts. This is the first year and I'm
applauding everyone who participated," says Hawley.
A bus tour from the Ilderton area brought
55 seniors on Saturday to the church tours of Northside United,
First Presbyterian and St. Thomas Anglican Church and then
on to the Van Egmond House. And, Hawley says a total of about
90 visited the churches.
Close to 60 people listened to Egmondville
author John Melady talk about his book on the last public
hanging in Canada.
While tourists attended from as far away as
British Columbia and Germany, Hawley says many of those who
participated were local people.
Seaforth Coun. Bob Fisher, who dressed in
a top hat and cape over the weekend to get into the spirit
as he greeted visitors at Huron East's town hall, says he
thinks numbers at town hall were down a little from previous
Doors Open events.
"It's a good idea and it needs a little
tweaking," he says.
Hawley says she thinks the Van Egmond House
got the most traffic because it was one of 10 sites in Huron
County featured in a provincial publication on Doors Open
that was distributed with 500,000 copies through the Globe
and Mail and provincial tourism centres.
"That was great for us because it's appealing
to a wider audience," she says.
"We're getting very good numbers and
that has a lot to do with the theme. It's a good getaway with
good travelling weather and beautiful harvest time scenery,"
she says.
A meeting of the Haunted Huron organizers
will be held this Thursday where Hawley says it will be discussed
whether to try the same event again in the future.
"I can see it getting better and better,"
she says, adding that she'd love to see more volunteers helping
with the various events around Huron East.
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