COMMUNITY CORNER: Burnaby Village turns into spooky village this Halloween

Halloween is a fun time at Burnaby Village, as staff and volunteers help to create a special experience.

Margaret Kolpin/Burnaby Village Museum

Share this story

Tweet

• COMMUNITY CORNER: Free and festive at Burnaby Village
• ARTS CORNER: Summer theatre at Burnaby Village
• Burnaby Village hosts fall fair on Labour Day
• Burnaby Village to stay open Saturdays through end of October
• ARTS CORNER: Fun, free interactive theatre for families at Burnaby Village Museum
• COMMUNITY CORNER: Come for a ride on the Carousel this Christmas

It takes a village to create a Haunted Village.

Halloween is a favourite time of year for the staff and volunteers at the Burnaby Village Museum, when we transform the 1920s streets filled with tidy homes and businesses into 10 acres of Halloween fun.

Staff who spend the rest of their year carefully presenting an authentic heritage experience enjoy setting their creativity free to make decorations and costumes inspired by Halloween folklore. This year’s theme is “Vampire’s Ball” with vampire-inspired decor and activities.

In the costume room, the work of creating reproductions of historic garments has been set aside, replaced by the sewing of vibrant vampire capes and ghostly dresses. In the design workshop, the vampire theme inspired construction of a coffin that pops open to surprise visitors with its ghoulish resident, as well as the transformation of the bandstand at the centre of the village into a DJ booth in the style of a Transylvanian castle. The homes and businesses of the village have become lairs for witches, vampires and ghouls.

Decorating the 10-acre site and populating it with costumed residents is a task large enough to frighten anyone. Thankfully an average of 40 volunteers from the museum and community partner groups give their time each evening, helping make the event an annual tradition for local families. Partners in 2011 include Hollynorth, who donate use of several fogging machines; students from John Casablancas, who provide professional-quality make up to the staff and volunteers; and student volunteers from Byrne Creek Secondary, who will be dancing in the streets as participants in the Vampire Ball.

Haunted Village runs 6 to 9 pm, Oct, 28-30. Admission $14 for adults, youth and seniors, $9 for children 2 to 12. Entrance includes trick-or-treating for children and unlimited carousel rides.

• Lisa Codd is the curator at Burnaby Village Museum.