For many in NoVA, a trip through Fields of Fear, Cox Farms’ blood-curdling haunted attraction, is an annual tradition. But as you creep through the dark corn mazes and chilling scenes, have you ever stopped to wonder: Who are those people behind the gory masks?
Some are high schoolers earning a little extra cash, some are full-time professionals who use this as a side gig, and nearly all are die-hard Halloween fans. A “professional haunter” of four years, Cameron Turpin is a marketing director for a real estate law firm when he’s not covered in fake blood and spooking visitors.
As one of the largest fall destinations in the area, it takes a lot of people to run Cox Farms’ seasonal operations. Between the daytime, kid-friendly fall festival and Fields of Fear, the farm hires around 600 part-time seasonal employees per year, and about 80 of those are haunters.
Before getting in character, haunters are first given orientation and training to make sure the experience is safe for all involved — something Turpin, who teaches newcomers, calls “scare school.” Some key skills? For one, how to operate a chainsaw safely (the chainsaws are real, they’re just missing the chains). It’s also important to keep a safe distance when taking people by surprise: “A lot of people, when you scare them, their first reaction is to push you back,” he says. “They teach us how to do the scare and then step back quickly so that nobody pushes you or punches you or hits you.”
Actors are also taught not to touch guests — though that doesn’t mean they can’t reach out and tap your shoulder with props to make you jump (and probably shriek).
Before a shift, the actors head to the makeup building, where they get dolled up in their scariest getups, complete with any necessary props. And finally, Fields of Fear director Jeremy Gerken gives a “rah-rah speech” to get everyone in the scaring mood.
Out in the fields, the haunters get to work. Turpin recommends keeping the scares short (around 2 or 3 seconds) and not blocking guests’ paths so nobody panics, and the line keeps moving.
Some of the most fun areas for the actors are what Turpin calls “The Kids of the Corn” and “Aliens,” both sections where tricky lighting lets haunters effectively sneak up on people. The dark side hayride, which underwent some updates last year, is another favorite.
“The camaraderie amongst haunters is fantastic. I mean, we look out for each other, it turns into like a big, happy family,” Turpin says. “You know, I’ve worked a lot of jobs over the years, and never have I had this much fun.”
15621 Braddock Rd., Centreville, Friday and Saturday nights through November 2, plus Sunday, October 13, 7:30–11 p.m., $30–$40, fieldsoffear.coxfarmsva.com
Feature image courtesy Cox Farms
This story originally ran in our October issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
