[Heritage Haunt]

Hi i work at a major haunt in so cal and this year we are doing a hayride. So i was wondering what are some of the best ideas you have seen at hayrides? Thanks

[Allen H]

HMMMmmm...
Here are a few good ones that I remember
Wagon drives under a giant spiderweb over head which drops about six or seven feet on top of the wagon, It does not touch them but it comes close. The whole wagon normally ducks and screams. simple rope and pulley to operate.

The wagon drives by a billboard for the haunt and an actor with a chainsaw cuts the post and it looks like its going to fall on the wagon but it stops short. Great reaction from the crowd.

Another one is a basic spark wand but the chainsaw actor connects one lead to the wagon rail and the other is on his saw blade, so the saw shoots sparks as it hits the rail. pretty easy to build and a great effect, as the wagon drives off the (jumper cable style) gripper pulls off by its self.

Im pretty big on stilt walkers and they are great for attacking hay wagons, especially the fast moving jumping stilts.
Allen H

[shawnc]

Allen brings up a great point with the stilts and overhead scares.

With a hayride, your patrons have a disconnect with things down on the ground. The distance gives them safety, in their minds. You need to get things up on their level.

Another way to do it is have the wagon drive very close alongside a hill/old vehicle/tree/platform and have someone or something on there provide the scare.

[DogStar]

Originally Posted by Allen H

Another one is a basic spark wand but the chainsaw actor connects one lead to the wagon rail and the other is on his saw blade, so the saw shoots sparks as it hits the rail. pretty easy to build and a great effect, as the wagon drives off the (jumper cable style) gripper pulls off by its self.

This sounds like a great scare! I use a spark gate myself. I'd like to try it using the trailer itself, but wouldn't it produce a fire hazard? Are electrical sparks different from real grinding sparks?

[Allen H]

the wagons that I had in the past did not actually have any hay on them. One had benches, the other had oak islands hay bale substitute, so I never tried it with actual hay, I would test and test and try it out, but you do flame retard your hay right?
Allen H

[DogStar]

I do not, hence the worry. This year I definitely will, so thanks for the tip! I'll be thoroughly testing it with the spark aparatus too.

Another scare I like for a hayride is a "hangman" actor in a harness suspended from an overhanging branch. He remains still as the trailer approaches, and once it's up close and personal, he goes nuts. To add to this effect, put together a number of inexpensive stuffed-clothes dummies with masks and hang them all in a group, the genuine article somewhere among them. It goes over quite nicely, so to speak.

[Heritage Haunt]

Thanks for the info. We may use some of your ideas. Happy Haunting