The Haunting of Holland returns, community comes together for scares and scholarships – kcentv.com
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HOLLAND, Texas — Screams echo through downtown Holland this Halloween season, but they’re all for a good cause.
The Haunting of Holland is back for its second year, transforming a local building into a carnival-themed nightmare filled with clowns, carnies and plenty of jump scares. But behind the frightening facades is a heartwarming mission: raising scholarship money for Holland High School seniors.
“This is the second year in a row we’ve done this,” said Brian Smith, a Holland Chamber of Commerce board member. “We do this as a community gathering and a fundraiser for the Holland seniors and for scholarships at the end of the year.”
What makes The Haunting of Holland special isn’t just the scares—it’s the people behind them.
Volunteers build the entire attraction. Local residents painted elaborate room designs created by artistic director Amanda Chantabong. StarCorre Sheets and Temple donated building materials, allowing organizers to upgrade from plastic walls to more creative, permanent structures.
“I love the buzz around downtown Holland because there’s just not a ton that goes on that happens around here consistently,” Smith said. “Here we get to see everybody come out. You see faces that you know, you see faces that you don’t know and everybody has a really fun time.”
This year’s carnival and clown theme features several elaborately designed rooms:
Local teenagers bring the attraction to life as actors. McKinlee and Bruce work the carousel room, while Maddilyn jumps out of Jack in the Box.
“Bruce and I last week, we got a couple of people who flew into the wall, it was pretty cool,” McKinlee said with a laugh.
“I’m in the Jack in the Box room and I jump out at people when they come by,” Maddilyn added. “A lot of people don’t see the toys, so they always trip over them.”
At just $10 per person, The Haunting of Holland is cheaper than most commercial haunted attractions, which typically charge $30 to $40 per ticket.
“It’s tough to find a haunted house around here or anywhere really for less than about $30 to $40 a person,” Smith explained. “So this one’s a cheap one that you can bring your whole family to and not break the bank.”
For families with younger children, the attraction offers a non-scary version—though Smith admits even that one manages to get a few good scares.
“We have a non-scary haunt, but still people come out and they’re still a little kind of bothered by it,” Smith said.
Every dollar raised goes directly toward scholarships for Holland High School seniors.
Last year, The Haunting of Holland awarded two $1,000 scholarships from the proceeds. This year, organizers hope to increase that amount.
“It’s just an awesome way to entertain yourself, entertain your family and also help out the community as well,” Smith said. “This year we’re hoping to bump that up a little bit.”
The final night of The Haunting of Holland is Thursday, Oct. 30, starting at 8 p.m. in downtown Holland.
Organizers will stop selling tickets around 10:30 p.m., though they may extend that time if there’s still a line of eager visitors.
For more information about The Haunting of Holland or to learn about next year’s event, contact the Holland Chamber of Commerce.
