Arts and Entertainment

Halfway to Halloween: haunted house test run yields crowd of 500 people

WUFT | By Rae Riiska

Published April 17, 2023 at 8:10 AM EDT

Video above by Avery Lotz, photos below by Rae Riiska.

Walking down Gale Lemerand Drive in Gainesville, screams could be heard coming from the UF Alumni Band Shell this weekend. Hidden inside was the Crimson Carnival, which ran from Thursday to Saturday.

Swamp Haunters, a subgroup of Gator theme park and engineering design, created the project. The weekend’s festivities acted as a test run to gain more funding for a bigger production in October 2023. The house is the result of nearly two years of work which includes building animatronics, storytelling and technical aspects such as permitting.

With a team of about 30 people and $6,000 the Crimson Carnival was born. Josiah Evaristo, project director, wants the production value of the house to be equal with that of Halloween Horror Nights.

“We wanted to create a $20,000 haunt on a $6,000 budget,” he said.

Sofia Hueller gets her makeup done before the opening of the Crimson Carnival haunted house April 11, 2023, at the University of Florida alumni band shell. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Patrons line up to enter the Crimson Carnival haunted house at the UF Alumni band shell April 15, 2023. (Rae Riiska/WUFT)

The ringleader of the Crimson Carnival greets guests as they enter the haunted house at the UF Alumni band shell April 15, 2023. (Rae Riiska/WUFT)

A scare actor hides in a UV lit room during the Crimson Carnival haunted house at the UF Alumni band shell April 15, 2023. (Rae Riiska/WUFT) — A scare actor hides in a UV-lit room during the Crimson Carnival haunted house at the UF Alumni band shell April 15, 2023. (Rae Riiska/WUFT)

A clown animatronic pops out of a box during the Crimson Carnival haunted house at the UF Alumni band shell April 15, 2023. (Rae Riiska/WUFT)

Josiah Evaristo, organizer, walks through the Crimson Carnival haunted house April 11, 2023, at the University of Florida alumni band shell. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Shannon Brixner paints a scare actors costume at the Crimson Carnival haunted house April 11, 2023, at the University of Florida alumni band shell. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Josiah Acevedo gets his makeup done before the opening of the Crimson Carnival haunted house April 11, 2023, at the University of Florida alumni band shell. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

A scare actor stands in the final room of the Crimson Carnival haunted house April 11, 2023, at the University of Florida alumni band shell. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)