Ottawa area activities for teens: Cannamore Orchard’s Acres of Terror

Being chased in a dark forest. Zombies.

You may think I am describing a horror anthology, but these are actually all the things that make Cannamore Orchard’s Acres of Terror one of the scariest rural experiences in the Ottawa area.

We arrived at Cannamore Orchard at around 8 pm on a Saturday night. We got our tickets, and, after a brief wait, a guide took us and our group to the haunted wagon ride, the first activity of our spooky night. We sat down, and the tractor began taking us through a dark and mysterious forest on a bumpy ride. Shortly after the tour started, we passed by an unsettling portrayal of a witch ritual. I don’t want to give away the scare, but throughout the journey in the forest, there were some disturbingly elaborate displays with great actors, just the right amount of jumpscares and something chasing the wagon that you might not expect. To understand what I’m talking about, you must experience it yourself.

After some thrilling jumpscares and a ride that kept us literally on the edge of our seats, we realized our night of horror had only just begun. After exiting the wagon, we were directed to a haunted house. While waiting in a short line, the trend of people leaving the house screaming and shaking was a good (or rather bad) sign of what lay ahead. We entered the haunted house and found a tight corridor with many twists and turns. Again, I cannot spoil the scare, but let's just say I am still scared of turning around a corner. Jumpscares, confusion and people in scary masks following you made this a perfect haunted house.

We then went to the next section of the Acres of Terror- the Spooky Village. An innovative new creation, Cannamore Orchards’ Spooky Village is a small collection of buildings with many Halloween related uses. You can visit the butchershop, or the local jail, with creepy twists and great actors. We spent a good 20 minutes popping in and out of buildings, more scared than when we entered. 

Finally, as the last part of our tour, we entered an indoor fog maze. Like the haunted house, we walked through a tight corridor that turned every few meters, but this time, it was empty and full of mist. We walked for a little while, expecting this to be the whole tour, when suddenly a small person with a mask jumped out from behind us! Caught off guard, we began running as he ominously followed us. More of them appeared, as we tried to escape. Finally, we made it to the exit and concluded our visit.

I would definitely recommend this experience for older children in your household. The evening experience is not intended for younger children.  

If you want a thrilling evening and get into the Halloween Spirit, visit Cannamore Orchards’ Acres of Terror. Register as soon as you can, since spots fill up quickly. Current available times are on weekends from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Groups leave every 15 minutes. For more information, click here.

Where is it and how much does it cost

Cannamore Orchards is located at 1480 County Road 32, Crysler, ON, K0A 1R0

Acres of Terror includes 4 main attractions: The Spooky Wagon Ride, House of Terror, Fog Maze & Spooky Village.  Tickets include a visit to all attractions.  Tickets must be booked for a specific date and time slot to ensure a safe & enjoyable experience for all.  Regular Night Admission is $34.00 per person.

Day sessions are geared towards younger kids and those easily scared and the price tag is a little lower at $25 per person or $75 for a family of four.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received a complimentary ticket for this post, but all views are his own.

Pumpkins after Dark: A Halloween option without the scare

As a teen, I have realized that the Halloween season offers three options for activities in my demographic: horror movies, haunted mansions and extremely late stage trick or treating. While I love a good scare, it can get repetitive as October drags on. This weekend, I tried something different, with the Pumpkins after Dark Display. 

We arrived at Wesley Clover Parks out in Kanata shortly after sunset, where we showed our tickets at the booth and entered the place. Inside, there were stands for a variety of food and drink with a long orange-encrusted pathway ahead of us. On both sides of the path, there were a plethora of professionally carved pumpkins that depicted a variety of popular culture characters. Obviously, iconic horror movie villains were engraved in the illuminated pumpkins. There were also designs for characters across various franchises and genres, with a Jurassic Park section and even some Mexican Day of the Dead carvings. We walked through the display for several minutes, admiring the craftsmanship and effort put into it. After completing our tour of the pumpkins, we decided to grab some hot chocolate and donuts. This was an incredible way to get into the halloween spirit, even without the traditional scares.

What's good for teens

Pumpkins after Dark is an excellent Halloween activity for teens in Ottawa. It is a great evening activity to spend with friends, with many displays to look at. You can grab some hot chocolate or treats, or take a look at engravings of your favourite horror movie characters. It is also a great opportunity for employment, with many workers at the exhibit getting their first job as a helper there. Overall, this is a great place to visit (or work) this Halloween season for teens, families and people who are sick of haunted houses. 

If you want an engaging, jump scare-free Halloween experience, check out Pumpkins After Dark. They will be open until October 31st in Wesley Clover Parks from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. Dress warmly, as this is an outdoor event. It is wheelchair accessible, but a relatively long walk.

Ticket prices are as follows:

Adult (17+) starting at $18.95
Youth (4-16) starting at $15.95
Children 3 and under are free, no ticket required
Family packages (2 adult, 2 youth) starting at $64.80

Pumpkins after Dark is officially partnering with the Ottawa Senators Community Foundation. For more information, click here.

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list. He received a complimentary ticket for this post, but all views are his own.

Deadwood Ottawa: A Drive Through Halloween Experience

KITC would like to welcome back, guest blogger, Stephen Johnson. Stephen Johnson is an Ottawa writer who loves to write about family travel.  During the summer, you will most likely find him and his family at a local fair or festival.  During the winter, a beach in Mexico is a likely bet.  

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It goes without saying this is not your typical Halloween season. Our family still loves to have a good fright so I searched the internet for a scary experience. 

I found the group who put on a drive-in and concerts at Wesley Clover Parks this past summer and fall were offering a Halloween themed attraction. Entitled, Deadwood Ottawa, the trailer on the internet was sufficiently spooky that we wanted to check it out. 

Deadwood Ottawa is a drive through experience and takes place at Wesley Clover Parks. We arrived on-site and were greeted by staff who were always masked and followed safety protocols. All the masked staff added to the Halloween feeling. 

When purchasing a ticket online it gives you access to a timed entry. This is a smart idea as it prevents huge traffic jams. 

We waited about ten minutes before our ticket was scanned and entering the site. We immediately saw illuminated pumpkins and a smoking fire pit. It was beginning to feel a lot more like Halloween. Soon enough, we were approached by an array of zombies, ghouls and other creatures of the night. 

I was impressed by the visual effects and the set design Deadwood were able to pull off. I do not want to give anything away but let’s just say we were sufficiently scared to have a good time. 

Perhaps more than anything, the event gave back some normalcy in what has been an extremely abnormal time. It felt like we were engaging in a scary Halloween activity the same as any other year. 

I also appreciated that we could enjoy the event from the security and comfort of our car. Upon entry, the attendant did say we could open the window a crack to hear the music, zombies, etc but we would have to wear a mask inside the car. Some of the ghouls do get quite close to your car so we opted to keep our windows closed and masks off. 

Perhaps the only suggestion I would make to improve the experience would be better signage. We were coming along Corkstown Road and pulled into the Drive In lineup before realizing we were in the wrong lineup. It was about another kilometre along Corkstown Road before we got to the entrance of Deadwood. Once on-site, the signage was very well-marked and the support staff were very helpful. 

Deadwood Ottawa will be running until October 31. The event has proved to be so popular that it is already sold out. You can add your name to a waitlist at www.deadwoodottawa.ca if tickets become available. 

Please note, this is meant for ages 13 and older. I would strongly advise against bringing young kids. 

The Drive-In Experience is also offering up Halloween-themed movies. Check their website for tickets and showtimes.

Socially Distanced Halloween Activities in Ottawa

Halloween may look a little different this year due to COVID-19 safety protocols, and unfortunately some of the usual activities, such as Trick or Treat with the Mayor, have been cancelled, but there is still some safe, outdoor fun to be had in the Ottawa area!

The Original Haunted Walk – Halloween Season
When: Nightly until November
Where: Various locations in Ottawa
Price: $30+HST per person

Great for older children and adults, The Haunted Walks are best known for their tours and stories of ghosts and haunted places. New for 2020 are Ottawa Bubble Ghost Tours. These tours feature up to 12 participants from no more than three households, allowing for a safe way for participants to hear some local ghost stories while socially distancing! In addition to reducing tour sizes, The Haunted Walk is also increasing their cleaning and disinfecting and all staff are paid sick leave to encourage them to stay home if they are feeling unwell. Masks are required for all indoor tour locations.

Saunders Farm – Haunting Season
When: Saturdays and Sundays between now and November 1st
Where: Saunders Farm, Munster, ON
Admission: Booking in two hour time slots - limited capacity, book in advance
Price: $22.60 per person; kids under two are free

Scarier at night and as a not-as-scary experience during the day, Saunders Farm offers families the ultimate in Halloween thrills and chills!  The Day Haunting Season is fine for kids as the more scarier attractions are closed and the jumping pillows and main play area is open. This year, the daytime attractions includes their famous Mazes, Jumbo Jumpers (jumping pillows), Haunted and Pumpkin Patch Hayride, The Coven, and our super fun play structures.

The Fright Fest (Night) at Saunders Farm is good for children ages 12 and up. For more information visit: http://saundersfarm.com.

Acres of Terror
Where: Cannamore Orchards, 1480 County Road 32, Crysler
When: Nights (6:30-10pm): Sept. 25-26, Oct. 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 23-25, 28-31 - we are OPEN on Halloween night. Days: (12-4pm): Oct. 17-18, 24-25 and 31st (Halloween day).

In their 28th year, Acres of Terror has four main components: the spooky wagon ride, the house of terror, the spooky village, and the fog maze! New for 2020, all tickets must be pre-booked online for a specific date and time-slot to ensure the ability to maintain physical distancing.  Only a limited number of tickets are available per 15 minute time slot.  Small groups of 10 or less will depart every few minutes.  Attractions and grounds have been modified to allow for the safest experience possible, with physical distancing requirements and enhanced safety protocols in place.  Masks are required. Visit https://cannamoreorchard.com/acres-of-terror/ for more information, including pricing.

Fall Family Fun At Hugli's Blueberry Ranch
When: On now until November 1st
Where: Hugli's Blueberry Ranch, 2139 Greenwood Rd., Pembroke, ON
Weekends: $11.95 + HST (kids & adults)  Under 2 is free. (includes shows and wagon rides to the pumpkin patch)
Weekdays: $7.53 + HST (kids & adults) Under 2 is free.

Various family-friendly outdoor activities. Masks/Face Covering are required in the store, on the frequently sanitized wagons and when you cannot stay two meters away from others.  Disposable masks are available for a $1 donation.

“A Practice of Deceit”: Escape room theatre with Live History
When: Saturday, October 17, 2020
Afternoon from 1 pm to 3 pm (Family hours for ages 7+)
Evening from 6 pm to 10 pm (Adults only for ages 18+)
Cost: $22.75 per person (ages 16+); $6.75 for children (7+) accompanied by an adult.

As the sun sets at Billings Estate, the voices of the past will speak once more…Step back in time to 1900 as you sort through webs of secrets, scandals, and hearsay to help bring a mysterious affair to a close. Will you be in time? Inspired by true events, Live History returns to the museum with this exclusive escape room theatre experience for one day only!

“A Practice of Deceit” will take place outdoors and has been adapted to meet public health guidelines including physical distancing (review our tips for a COVID-wise visit below). Plan to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled start time. 

Pumpkinferno
When: Open seven days a week from now until October 31st.
Where: Upper Canada Village
Admission: $16 +HST; children under 4 are free
New this year: No walk-ins; must book in advance

This fun outdoor event is for all ages and includes 7000 handcrafted pumpkins all lit at night along a kilometre long path in a picturesque 19th-century backdrop.

Pumpkin Fest at Proulx Farm
When: Saturdays and Sundays; now until October 31st
Where: Proulx Family Farm, 1865 O’Toole Rd., Cumberland

This time of year, Proulx Farm is transformed into a giant Halloween playground with a hayride, play structures, a guided tour on how to grow pumpkins, petting zoo (masks recommended), and more. Due to COVID some activities are unfortunately be unavailable for this season to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Trick or Swim or Skate!

Trick or Treeeeat” – the words that many little monsters and munchkins will excitedly scream as you open the door to their smiling faces on October 31st. Instead of candy, how about offering something a little different this Halloween?

The City of Ottawa offers Trick or Swim or Skate passes. You pay $10 and receive 10 vouchers to hand out. These can be used towards a swim or skate at a participating facility (not including wave swims or speciality skates). 

I don’t know about you, but we like to have a separate bucket from candy treats so we can offer non food treats to those with allergies and we love the idea of slipping a voucher in to their buckets.

Other non-food Halloween ideas include stickers (what child doesn’t love them?), slime, Playdoh, colouring pads, pencils, and erasers. Walk into any craft/party store and you will find a huge variety of offerings. 

Of course, we are not saying that you should give up the candy completely… ;)

CONTEST

We have a book of 10 Trick or Swim or Skate vouchers from the City of Ottawa to give away to one lucky reader! Trick or Swim or Skate vouchers are available in limited quantity until October 31st. They can be redeemed until January 31, 2020. Please check for participating facilities prior to using.

To enter: Visit our Facebook Page and leave a comment on this post letting us know what your child is planning on dressing up as for Halloween!

Contest runs until Friday, October 25th at 12 noon. Winner will be notified via Facebook Messenger.