“Circus of Screams” features 11 new haunted rooms, plus new layout, masks, props and costumes

Annual haunted Halloween attraction raises food and funds for ACCESS and others

Jacksonville, Oregon doesn’t have it’s own Haunted House – but if you want to be scared, Halloween enthusiasts throughout Southern Oregon can enjoy all new twists to the annual “Circus of Screams,” the thrilling haunted house on Highway 62. This circus-themed haunted house maze boasts 6,000 square feet full of creepy fun with costumed actors, Hollywood-inspired special effects, scary clowns, horror movie characters, cages, chains, spider webs, darkness, howls, screams, and other spooky sound effects. This year’s show features a new layout with 11 new rooms, plus all new masks, props and costumes.

“People should come first and foremost expecting to be scared,” said Julie Ball, an event organizer. “Our goal is to give you a professional haunted house experience with a very reasonable ticket price. We have repeat customers every year who proudly claim it’s a tradition. Not only do they keep coming back year after year, but some will come three or four times in one year.”

Part of the reason Circus of Screams is so popular is because organizers attend the West Coast Haunters Convention to help them keep up on new techniques and the latest and greatest props and make up.

The haunted house runs Oct. 26 through Oct. 31, 7 – 10 p.m. each night. It’s located at 9512 Highway 62 between White City and Eagle Point. Recommended for children eight and older, admission is $10, or discounted to $7 with a canned food donation. All food donated will go to feed the hungry through ACCESS Food Share and the Maslow Project helping homeless youth. Other proceeds benefit Eagle Point and Rogue River High School wrestling teams and the Ashland High cheer and stunt team.

In five years of operation, Circus of Screams has collected more than 18,000 pounds of food and donated $53,500 to three local youth groups.

“We feel it’s important to give back if you can. We feel strongly that kids need sports or other structured activities to help keep them out of trouble, and let’s face it, the number of people needing food banks is only getting greater and greater.  If you have the ability to do something about it, do it, so we do. Plus it gives me enormous pleasure to hear all the screams,” said Ball.

“ACCESS depends on all types of partnerships and donations to helps us deliver essential programs and services to the community, and Circus of Screams is probably the most unique and fun partner we have ever had. The organizers have a passion for what they do. It’s a lot of work every year, and the results are a real boost to our program,” said Philip Yates, ACCESS Nutrition Programs Director.

For additional details and updates on the event, please visit www.accesshelps.org, www.facebook.com/ACCESSHELPS, circusofscreams.net, or www.facebook.com/circusofscreams, or watch a video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2w3bSWJArk.

People can also make a secure financial donation to ACCESS online at www.accesshelps.org. Click the “Donate Now” button, then enter “Circus” in the dedication field (“on behalf of”).

Last year, ACCESS distributed 42,093 emergency food boxes to families, which is a seven percent increase over the previous year. Thirty-three percent of those ACCESS is helping to feed are children. An estimated 10,000 residents every month ate meals from emergency food boxes, and ACCESS distributed a total of 2,950,061 pounds of food to over 40 local partner agencies.

As the Community Action Agency of Jackson County, ACCESS has been helping Jackson County residents break the cycle of poverty since 1976. With a focus on education, ACCESS helps low-income families and seniors through economic crisis by guiding them through changes in habits to help them become self-sustaining. ACCESS currently serves Jackson County residents through 15 programs designed to address problems from one-time emergencies to longer-term issues. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.