Halloween free event at Crockett Park adjusted for ages in audiences

By KERRI BARTLETT
For Brentwood Home Page
Last October, on a “clear, cold night” deep in the woods, Vicki Sanford and her nieces, Tori Case, 9, a student at Crockett Elementary, and Lauren Case, 11, a student at Wooodland Middle School, crept down a dimly lit path lined with mysterious glowing Jack-o’-Lanterns that seemed to follow their every move with bright dancing eyes. As leaves quietly rustled in the wind, a wolf howled in the distance. With each careful step, they prepared themselves for the fearsome journey ahead . . . on Haunted Trails Storytelling night at Crockett Park.

The free Haunted Trails Storytelling nights will take place at Crockett Park this Friday and Saturday.

Although the story above is embellished a little (no wolves to be found at Crockett Park), come hear other spooky stories for yourself at the 2nd annual Haunted Trails Storytelling at Crockett Park this Friday and Saturday, from 6 to 9 p.m. 

The free event provides innocent fun in a slightly “spooky,” but family-friendly atmosphere. Paul Cox, event founder and organizer, estimates that 1,000 people walked through Crockett Park last year for Haunted Trails Storytelling, triple what was expected, and hopes for the same turnout this year.

 “Haunted Trails is intended to be a low-key event in a nice quiet setting in the silence of the woods, which enhances the mystery of storytelling,” Cox said.

The idea for Haunted Trails Storytelling began when Cox, an engineer for Triumph Aerostructures-Vought Aircraft Division, realized that there were few places to go for a laid-back Halloween experience.

 “I found that many places around town were too scary and intense for my children,” Cox said. “However, there is nothing that anyone will want to run away from here. Nothing will jump out from the woods. Haunted Trails is all about sitting and listening to a story, planting the seed in one’s imagination and letting it grow.”

Sanford, a pharmacist and Brentwood resident of 31 years, and her nieces were thrilled with the experience and are looking forward to attending the storytelling event this year.

“The storytellers are fabulous. They are great at assessing the age group of the audience to determine how frightful stories should be,” Sanford said.

“It was a wonderful experience to listen to a tale and be able to use your imagination. Then, the stories become as scary as your own mind lets them.” 

Fourteen storytellers will entertain audiences of a few dozen listeners during a one-hour tour with the last group admitted at 8 p.m. Boy Scout volunteers from Brentwood Troop 86 and Troop 8 will lead each group through each storytelling station.

Lisa Sykes and daughter, Ariana at last year's Haunted Trails Storytelling 2010

Brentwood resident Lisa Sykes attended the trails last year with daughter, Ariana, 6, and looks forward this year to bringing along her son, Brennan, 3, as well.

“What we enjoyed most was the creativity and talent of the storytellers. They didn't just tell stories; they gave haunting performances, also through song and dance,” Sykes said.

“The atmosphere was very fitting – dark and wooded, with Jack-o’-Lantern lit trails. It wasn't just haunting; it was enchanting.”

Story Tellers include Susan Ramsay, Kidz Kompany, Explorastory  of Hendersonville, Kay Dozier, Barry Jones, David Lasseter, David McCoy, Lachelle Shelton, Margie Thessin, Charlie Schoenbrodt, Bill Moore, Cathy Lindstrom and Jeanne Sherrill.

“It is truly a one-of-a-kind Halloween experience that an entire family can enjoy together. The stories have appeal for all ages. My daughter was 5 last year, and she was as captivated by the stories as I was.”

This year the event has added a collection site for the charity Warm Coats From Warm Hearts. Cox encourages everyone to bring a warm coat for those in need, which will be redistributed in the Nashville area.

The trail starts and ends behind the Eddy Arnold Amphitheater. The last group of the night will be admitted by 8 p.m. Admission is free.

Local merchants who have either given material or financial donations to Haunted Trails include The Fresh Market Brentwood, The Factory at Franklin, Harris Teeter, Chick-Fil-A, Costco and Kroger.

“We greatly appreciate the help of our sponsors. Their help is a sign of what a giving community we live in,” Cox said.

The Halloween season brings out the mysterious, thrill-seeking side in all of us when jumping out of the bushes in a vampire costume to scare a loved one seems like a good idea. However, it’s nice that Brentwood residents can keep these scare tactics at bay this Halloween season and enjoy a spooky stroll through Crockett Park instead.

Coming Wednesday: More Halloween happenings in town and around the county