A Halloween event called the “Un-Fair Scare” will be at the Pope County Fairgrounds in Glenwood for three weekends during October, according to Ben Schirmers, organizer of the event.  

“When I heard Fright Nights had shut down after last year I started talking with the Pope County Fair Board and making plans to use one of the buildings to put on a Halloween haunt maze,” Schirmers said.  

Schirmers and his  friends organized a Halloween haunt in one of the abandoned buildings at the Eagles Healing Nest in Sauk Centre for a number of years. The facility was a long time home school for troubled youth and the building we used was built in 1918 and was a Georgian Revival style reformatory building. It was a perfect building for a Halloween maze. The drawback of the building, he said “ was we could only route people so many ways to change it up.”  

“In the third year of operation we added a big square bale maze adjacent to the building and did three more years with this concept changing the maze each year.  All the proceeds of our event went to the Eagles Nest.”  

The pandemic interfered and the maze was stopped.

“I’ve kept the gutted out camper I had then still packed full of Halloween stuff and I’ve been wondering what I should do with it.  So when I heard Fright Nights was shutting down after last year I began speaking with the Pope Fair Board and making plans to use one of the buildings to put on a maze,” he said.  

The event at the Pope County Fairgrounds will be called the “Un-Fair Scare” and “yes there will be a creepy clown!” Schirmers said recently 

The Halloween event will take place on Friday and Saturday October 11 and 12, October 18 and 19 and October 25 and 26.  It will be operated  from 7 to 10 p.m. Parking will be along the grandstands or near the main office and a lighted sign will direct folks to the check-in tent.  The Pope Co Sheriff’s posse will be on hand in the parking lot as well. 

“Expect thrills, chills and surprises! For this year we will be using just one building but if the event is a success it would be wonderful to add a bale maze in future years,” Schirmers added.