Cannibal Creek 2018 Review

Peltzer Farm transforms into the annual Peltzer Pumpkin Farm with fun-filled activities for all ages. Known for their delicious wines and special events; there are usually live performances and unique food truck and vendors all year round during their celebrations throughout the year. For Halloween season, Peltzer Farms offers the following: Petting Farms. Gem Mining, Pig Races, Pony Rides, Tractor, Garden, Train Ride and Carnival Games. Prices and Times for each individual attraction can be found here: http://www.peltzerfarms.com There will be a $2 entry fee for all visitors over the age of 2 years to enter the Pumpkin Farm. However, we were present to see their first haunted maze: Cannibal Creek.

As the story goes: “many years ago there was a simple man, with a simple family, who lived on a simple farm. They lived a happy life… until the drought struck. Their whole crop withered away. Ever since, the soil has harbored a vendetta against the livelihood of the family. With no food and no water, the family became a little unhinged. They were forced to resort to more unconventional means of nourishment. To survive they began to hunt human trespassers and they developed a taste for it… “

As we stepped into the house, the man dressed in a clown costume lays down the ground rules for the haunted house. As he was explaining the safety instructions, scare actors come in and out of the room attempting to scare you or give you a taste of whats to come; we found this to be a little distracting since we were trying to listen to the ground rules but hey: who listens to this stuff anyway? After the rules are done with, we were asked to choose between 4 pathways to walkthrough, individually. We imagine this would be terrifying for most people: walking through black drapes, ALONE, not knowing whats on the other side. We even noticed a group of young girls running out; needless to say they did not make it past one of the pathways. Door #3, a few feet in, we were met by a Cannibal holding onto a weapon which made a fun horn sound like one that a clown owns; told me to “Get out of here, this is our home!”

After encountering the Cannibal in the pathway, it lead us to a hallway where eventually you’ll meet up other members of the party. So rest assure kids, this is not a single person maze like “Into The Black”. As we kept walking, we were met by 2 Cannibals that pop up out of nowhere. We pass by a few boxes covered in webs with a severed head next to it, a Cannibal reaches his arm out from the ceiling yelling “Come Here!!!” In the background we hear this rhythmic pounding in a 4/4 tempo almost as if it signify a ritual reminiscent of how a lost tribe in the jungle is about worship and feast. In the next room, we see a full size open casket. As we took a peek inside, another Cannibal pops out from underneath it. Then to the left, a Cannibal that looked like Leatherface comes out from behind some crates. As we moved forward, we were met by more Cannibals in the house popping out to scare us. The first female Cannibal in the maze asked if I wanted to play with her Ouija Board; as we started to play, she changed her mind and told us to “GET OUT!” We end up in an impressive scene outdor while still in the maze, where a Butcher is cooking some heads. This was achieved by using what seemed to be a real tree from the farm and a flashing orange light paired with fire crackling effects. We pass by another scare actor around the corner and we meet the Butcher again; this time closer and he has a pitchfork as he scrapes it against the metal gate while holding a leg in his other hand. We move on and think we survive but see a chainsaw atop some wood with a decapitated head below it; it was not a good sign of things to come. Because in the next turn, a giant scare actor with a Jason mask came at us with a chainsaw.

At the next turn, a hooded lady in a wheelchair is slouched over. To her right, across the way was another hooded lady on a bed rocking back and forth playing with a dead cat. All we could hear in the room was “Here Kitty Kitty Kitty” repeated over and over. We moved forward and apporach a “KEEP OUT” sign. A voice angril said to us: “It Says Keep Out. It Says Keep Out”, then we get scared by the actor below the sign and behind us via drop down window. We then approach another hooded female, this time a victim with her arm mangled begging us to help. A cannibal, banging on a table across the way dared us not to help her. As we escaped from being chopped up and eaten, we breezed through the final room where a couple of clowns offered us baloons in the creepiest way we’ve ever been offered a baloon. You’ll have to just see for yourself.

In Conclusion, Cannibal Creek is essential a Pop-Up Maze. Therefore, the construction has to be light and simple to break down or build. Cannibal Creek utlized a lot of the “old school” scare tactics where black plastic, drapes, or plywood is used and actors hide out in dark corners. What we liked are the easy to pass through corridors; rather than using heavy tarps or a piece of cloth cut in half, they slit their plastic all across so it’s easier to get through and nothing gets caught especially onto our mic. Also, we liked how the scare actors are not just standing at eye level; as we saw scares from above and below. You REALLY cannot see them coming. For a smaller sized haunt, we counted 21 scare actors in this maze that consists of many twists and turns, where did they keep them all at? It is a nice additional to Peltzer Farm’s already sufficient list of activities. Parking is free and at the very worst; parents can let their kids enjoy the farm and maze while they indulge in delicious wines in either indoors or the cozy outdoor seating areas.

Cannibal Creek continues on October 25-31 from 6PM to 10PM. Tickets are $12.