Like most cities, Irvine has its scary stories. A haunted high school theater. A ghost that appears along Campus Drive on foggy nights. The apparition of a dancer at a UCI dormitory. Halloween is a good time to tell these tall tales, but what if one wants to be scared in real time?
For a fun and frightening experience that also helps the community, consider a visit to Haunted Within. Now in its sixth year, the haunted house in The Ranch neighborhood of Irvine is the creation of homeowner Tony Kim.
“We love Irvine and love serving our community with our annual Halloween experience,” Kim says. The event is free, though donations are welcome. “We will be collecting new baby-supply donations (diapers, bottles, toys, etc.) at the haunted house to go to Orange County foster-care families,” he says. “We are a foster family and have adopted two kids through Orange County Social Services.”
The haunted house is the star at the center of a community Halloween celebration in The Ranch. “Our neighbors are very supportive, from promoting Haunted Within in The Ranch newsletter to donating decor and even offering financial donations to help offset costs,” Kim says. “They don’t decorate to the extent I do, but they all give out candy and support in any way that is needed.”
Local students volunteer to help out at the haunted house, including dressing in costume to be on the “scare team” to frighten those wandering the decorated rooms.
Kim’s company, Hero Within, helps support the haunted house effort, donating infrastructure and supplies to make it possible. Kim and his company are well-known at Comic-Con and other similar events where dressing in costume is part of the culture. Also Irvine-based, Hero Within is a “sophisticated geek fashion brand” that reflects a love for pop culture. Think “Star Trek”-themed hoodies, leather jackets and more. “We are fanboys and fangirls with many nerd passions but also love to create inspired geek fashion,” he says of the brand that “celebrates the heroism found in all of us.”
More information at instagram.com/haunted_within.
Tricks, treats & Halloween events
Bommer Canyon
Pick your pumpkin and carve a masterpiece with helpful patterns while indulging in snacks and hot chocolate at this city event. $20 per family includes one pumpkin. 3-5 p.m. Oct. 27, yourirvine.org.
Irvine Barclay Theatre
Meet the spooky side of entertainment with “Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun: Circus of Monsters.” MenAlive will deliver a Halloween show filled with eerie harmonies and monster tales. 7 p.m. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, thebarclay.org.
OC Zoo
Celebrate Halloween with a scavenger hunt, trick-or-treating and crafts for kids. Watch the zoo animals enjoy treat-filled pumpkins throughout the day. Activities are free with zoo admission. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 26, ocparks.com/oc-zoo.
Irvine Regional Park
Enjoy train rides, a hay maze, pumpkin picking and more at Irvine Park Railroad’s annual Pumpkin Patch. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends through Oct. 31, irvineparkrailroad.com.
Manassero Farms
Join Manassero Farms for its fall event featuring a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting and more. Heirloom pumpkins will be available throughout the month. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 12, manasserofarms.com.
Tanaka Farms
Try the corn maze, wagon rides and U-Pick veggies at Tanaka Farms’ Pumpkin Patch. The Fall Harvest Festival features games and a pumpkin cannon. Make reservations online. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Thu.; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sun.; and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 31, tanakafarms.com.
