'Haunted Prairie' Returns to Traughber Junior High

Move over, Corporal Colchester — some new scares are coming to the Haunted Prairie this year.

Traughber Junior High School science teacher Randy Paradise said the event will return to the school, 570 Colchester Dr., on Oct. 24. This time around, Paradise and his group of student and faculty volunteers and actors have cooked up all-new frights, and there’s a new twist.

For the first year, the annual Halloween event will also serve as a donation drive for the Kendall County Food Pantry. For $5, Traughber students can take one tour of the haunted prairie. Kids can tour the prairie for a second time by donating non-perishable food, Paradise said.

The Haunted Prairie got its start five years ago as a way to take advantage of the school’s location near the Illinois Department of Natural Resources-certified prairie.

“I thought, it would be a great way to celebrate the season of Halloween and give our kids something to look forward to,” Paradise said. Initially, the spooks and scares were limited to a section of prairie closer to the campus, but have since expanded to a larger tallgrass prairie.

Volunteers amp up the scare factor by cutting snaking paths through the tallgrass prairie, where guests will make their way through the dark — if they dare.

“It’s a huge event,” Paradise said, saying that of the school’s 1,000 students, around 600 toured the prairie last year.

Paradise said high school students in need of service hours can get in on the scares by volunteering as actors and crew members. To get involved, students can contact Paradise at rparadise@sd308.org.

This year’s event is scheduled for 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24.