Jefferson haunted house to return

LAKE HOPATCONG — Following the Jefferson Township Recreation Department’s annual Fall Festival event on Saturday, Oct. 17, Jefferson Recreation will present the 27th annual Halloween Haunted House at Camp Jefferson, 81 Weldon Road, Lake Hopatcong — rain or shine.

Spooktacular spirits will inhabit the completely transformed Community Lodge where eerie scenarios will unfold in dark and scary rooms causing visitors to laugh and scream your way through a diverse gathering of ghosts, ghouls, serial killers, random creatures, and things that go bump in the night. Spirits will be roaming the outside grounds as well, and DJ Earl will play some bloodcurdling music for the monster mash to get the ghouls dancing. For an additional fee, there also will be a haunted hayride.

There will be a matinee performance (a less frightening children’s hour suggested for fifth graders and younger) from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, with regular evening peformances from 7 to 9:30 p.m. On Sunday, Oct. 18, another less frightening children’s hour matinee will run from 4:30-5:30 p.m. with regular evening performances from 6-8 p.m. Mama’s Road Kill Café will be offering eats and refreshments at a nominal price.

Admission to the Haunted House is $3 for adults and children alike for all shows, and attendees are asked to contribute non-perishable food items, paper products, toiletries, and/or cleaning products to donate to the township food pantries and/or usable and wearable clothing, shoes, accessories, household items and toys to the drive being run by the Jefferson Township High School boys’ soccer association.

Call 973-919-8058 to check on what items cannot be accepted.

When approaching Camp Jefferson, please follow the directions of the volunteer parking attendants for on-site parking. To accommodate overflow parking, continuous shuttle service will be provided by the Recreation Department and the Township’s Dial-A-Ride service to and from the Board of Education’s Central Office Building’s parking lot at 31 Route 181 and the Ellen T. Briggs Elementary School’s parking lot at 1 Jefferson Drive (off Espanong Road adjacent to Our Lady Star of the Sea Church), both in Lake Hopatcong.

Visit the Haunted House on Facebook at https;//www.facebook.com/jthauntedhouse, contact Colleen at jtownhauntedhouse@gmail.com, or call Jefferson Recreation at 973-663-8404 for any additional information.