Half-dead, bloodthirsty, crazed zombies can be found terrorizing Gunstock Ranch visitors at the second annual Gunstock Zombie Hayride. From the creators of the Haunted Plantation in Waipahu, the 6th most haunted attraction in the U.S. by Matador Network magazine in 2010, comes their newest attraction, a zombie-themed hayride. Angelina Khan, originally from Germany and now living in Honolulu, is one the head creators of the hayride. Khan said, “We came up with the idea of a haunted hayride because we wanted to branch out and try something a little different. Haunted Plantation is heavily based on ghosts and the supernatural. Gunstock Zombie Hayride has a recurring theme of zombies.” Khan said she felt there was a need to provide a haunted attraction based on the North Shore. According to Khan, Gunstock Ranch was the perfect location for this next project. “Gunstock Ranch has a Walking Dead type feel to it and the setting naturally scary at night. Being at the ranch really influences the haunt in a big way by giving it a sense of atmosphere that you couldn’t get anywhere else.” Noa Laporga, commonly known as “The Scare Master” and cofounder of the hayride, said, “I think that it’s a perfect theme for where the location is at. We are the only hayride in Hawaii that I know of. It’s a 25-minute-long ride through dark woods and twisted fields, and there’s only zombies!”Visitors to the zombie hayride last year said they were delightfully horrified with their experience. Rhett Dalley, a senior from Utah studying molecular biology, attended last year and said, “The haunted hayride is a great opportunity to put a little something creepy into your Halloween since the Polynesian Cultural Center killed the Haunted Lagoon last year. Probably the most intense part was when a chained zombie came running at us full speed till his chain ran out. The zombie stopped suddenly just inches from our faces. It reminded me of something out of ‘28 Days Later’ or ‘World War Z’.” Laporga said preparation is a year-long process, “Angelina and I start working on public relations and production work around the year. We actually even make all of our masks and prosthetics which takes a couple of months alone,” said Laporga. Khan added the preparation is to provide quality, originality and realism. Khan said, “All of our actors have to go to ‘scare school,’ where they are taught how to walk, act and sound like zombies. We work year-round fabricating our own silicone masks, prosthetics, costumes and more. What you see at the Gunstock Zombie Hayride you won’t see anywhere else.”This year the hayride will open the evening of Oct. 24, 25 and 27. Tickets are $20 and rides will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult. information can be found at www.gunstockzombiehayride.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gunstockzombiehayride. Khan said, “This is what we love doing. We love scaring people. We get in costume to scare people any chance we get because we just love it so much. It’s our favorite thing to do.”
Writer: Joshua Mason ~ Multimedia Journalist
