From now until midnight, 11 p.m. October 31, the Smoky Mountain haunted Forest, located on 1999 Chapman Hwy, pledges to offer parents and children a good, old-fashioned Halloween scare. According to John Soter, proprietor of the haunted forest, “Once you enter into the forest, you’re bombarded with scary images: strobe lights, real coffins opening and closing, graveyard music, rising steam, and actors dressed as common Hollywood horror villains from Freddy Krueger to Michael Myers, trying to scare you and at the same time, celebrate the spirit of Halloween.”   

Soter stated, “We had 120 people come last weekend. It’s a lot of fun and they are having a great time with it.”

By day, local residents might know Soter as the owner of Smoky Mountain Paintball, where he has been renting out paintball equipment, overseeing tournaments, and managing competitive leagues for over 11 years. Using his business acumen, along with a flare for the dramatic, Soter transforms his paintball field into a veritable shriek-fest immediately after the sun goes down. 

The Smoky Mountain Haunted Forest charges $8 for children and adults that are twelve years and older, $5 for children from the ages of six-twelve, and offers free admission to children under the age of six.  “Within the forest” says Soter, “there are no devils, and there is nothing sac religious.” He adds,“In addition to the scary elements of the haunted forest, we also offer free candy, face painting, and refreshments for his patrons. And for young children that might scare easily, the show is “toned down” to the appropriate fright-level, however, if the child is accompanied by a parent, the parent is allowed to have an encore run through the forest at the forest’s maximum scare level. 

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