School is back in session, football season is underway, which means Halloween isn’t too far off.

The holiday couldn’t come quickly enough for one Mount Gilead family, the Grauers, who have been turning part of their property into a haunted house for trick-or-treaters in the village.

“For the last two years we have provided a haunted house in our garage for the kids that trick or treat around town,” haunted house organizer Cody Grauer said. “We do not charge for entry and we are kid friendly. Last year we received donations for our efforts and people very much enjoyed what we were doing for the kids and said they hope to see it every year. We received a lot of compliments and gratitude.”

The family decided to tackle the task of hosting a haunted house after years of decorating their home in celebration of the October holiday.

“We enjoyed setting up decorations every year for Halloween until it developed into the idea of having a small haunted house walk through with candy at the end,” Grauer explained. “Since then we have taken the idea and ran with it to develop it into something that people will anticipate and enjoy.”

The third edition of the Grauers haunted house experience promises to take on a new look thanks in large part to the support they have received from the community.

“With the donations and tips we received last year we were able to buy supplies for this year to make the haunted house even better than last,” he said.

During the village’s trick-or-treat event, the Gauers will open their haunted house to the public at 189 Elm Street in Mount Gilead.

“My favorite part is the look on the kids faces after they make it through the haunted house,” Cody explained. “They are so excited to have something like what we do in their neighborhood. They just want to keep going back through every time they make it to the end. The feedback from everyone is just so positive, welcoming and encouraging. It’s a great feeling knowing you’re doing something good for the kids and the parents as well to be able to give their kids an experience of a haunted house.”

Courtesy photo

The Gauers haunted house is located at 189 Elm Street in Mount Gilead.

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/08/web1_Screenshot_2016-08-25-11-48-00.jpgCourtesy photo

The Gauers haunted house is located at 189 Elm Street in Mount Gilead.

Courtesy photo

The haunted house, now in its third year, is designed to provide a haunted house experience to villagers.

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/08/web1_shripp.jpgCourtesy photo

The haunted house, now in its third year, is designed to provide a haunted house experience to villagers.

By Zach Jones

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Reach Jones at 419-946-3010