October 31 Vallejo/Vacaville Arts and Entertainment Source: ‘Skreamz’ Haunts Fairfield Once Again

Skreamz Haunted Attraction has long given Fairfield a good scare. This year, the terror is coming to the cornfields.

Each year, Eric Land, Haunt Master of Skreamz, dreams up the next great scare, thinking up the storyline and how best to execute it.

“We’ve done hotels, we’ve done hospitals, we’ve done a toy factory but we’ve never done a farm theme,” says Land.

This year, the haunt revolves around a farmer who bulldozed over a cemetery to plant his crops.

“It was fine for the first couple of years but now things are coming to rise,” said Land.

Skreamz Haunted Attraction has been a Halloween staple in Solano County for years, sometimes moving locations and always changing themes. This year visitors will experience the farmhouse, the barn, what’s left of the cemetery, and the pumpkin reaper.

Land has been in the business of haunting for 13 years. After the attraction he first volunteered with moved from Fairfield to Sacramento, he eventually decided to bring the haunt back home, he says.

But how scary is it?

“From a 1-10 I would give it a good eight,” says Land, adding that they don’t recommend the attraction for children 13 and under. “We have chicken doors throughout the haunt so if anyone can’t handle it they can leave.” Those doors get used quite a bit, he says.

It’s a lot of work to give people a good scare.

“It’s a yearlong process. In fact I’m already thinking about next year,” he says. Although he can’t divulge next year’s theme, he is hoping to stay in the same location, which would give him more time to fine-tune the haunt.

Right now, all Land’s equipment and decor is stored in various storage units. Each season he has limited time to set up and tear down the haunted attraction before and after its run.

But he does it for fun, Land says.

“A lot of people have hobbies,” said Land. “Some people like to work on vehicles, some people like to work with horses. I just enjoy theater and this is a type of theater and I like to put on a good show.”

When volunteers first start out with Skreamz, they are often shy, says Land.

“Two or three more years later I got them chasing people down the hallways,” he said. “It just breaks people out of their shell and that’s fun to see.”

He says his favorite parts of the haunt are coming up with the ideas for the attraction each year, and seeing people’s faces when they finish the haunt, “coming out screaming but laughing at the end.”

The money that SKREAMZ generates is donated to the Fairfield Police Activities League (PAL), a recreational service for underserved teens in the community. Since its inception, Skreamz has partnered with local organizations in need and has donated to PAL for several years now.

Halloween is Skreamz closing night of the year and several of the performers will be at Solano Town Center from 4-6 p.m. before the scare begins at 7 p.m.

“We’re going to be in our costumes, not hiding behind corners, just out shaking hands and taking pictures with people,” said Land.

“I hope people come out and see us on our last night and we look forward to scaring Solano County for many more years,” says Land.

IF YOU GO …

• WHAT: Skreamz Haunted Attraction, General Admission $12
• WHEN: October 31, 7 p.m.
• WHERE: 1795 Pennsylvania Ave., Fairfield

Originally Published: October 29, 2024 at 4:22 PM PDT