10/26/2026
On Friday, October 23rd and Saturday, October 24th, the Grafton Lions Club hosted our 13th annual Haunted Woods Hayride 'Terror of Horror Movies'
Underneath the autumn moon-lit sky, you were carried away to each bone-chilling horror film. The hair-raising screams and gory scenes greeted each patron as they rode past various movie sets. Nightmare on Elm St. aka Nightmare on Lake Ripple had freakish poltergeists, and a good ole Grafton-style chainsaw massacre right near our eerie waterfront. When you entered the cornfield, more screaming could be heard as the children slaughtered all the adults one by one to appease a malevolent entity. Crows sat ready to consume the remains.
After the nightmarish journey with suspenseful twists and turns, past grave sites, Frankenstein, deadly wedding vows, zombies, twisted Alice in Wonderland, Ghost Faces, and more chainsaws, you finally ended up at the Fun Halls where you were greeted by our horrifying clowns as they encouraged you to go through the haunted hallways, but if you were a chicken and couldn’t walk through the hallways; there was a special line for you to get out.
The haunted hallways were filled with a myriad of circus clown nightmares. You had to watch your step, as evil laughter rang out and clowns appeared out of nowhere.
What an INCREDIBLE two nights of movie horror madness! These movie scenes were crafted by some really creative individuals, who did a fantastic job putting their own spin on the big screen.
The days leading up to the Hayride, it was nice to see our Lions property slowly being transformed into a large scale horror show. Once the sun set, it was a sight to be seen with the lighting and sound effects. Our techs did a phenomenal job tying it all together. It was certainly a Hollywood production!
As you know, we had to postpone due to the weather conditions the week before, so we were thrilled the weather this past Friday and Saturday worked out to be perfect! The nights were incredibly clear and crisp with the moonlight shining so perfectly, adding to the fear of the ride.
The Grafton Lions Club can’t thank everyone enough. All the many hands it takes to make this event happen are no easy task, but with everyone’s support, we got it done on time. Cheers to another incredible year! You should all be so proud of yourselves, it was a huge accomplishment!
In total, we sold 1,600 hayride tickets. Making this year’s 2026 Haunted Woods Hayride Terror of Horror Movies a successful one!
A great big thanks to our amazing Hayride Chair and Committee members who made this event possible. All of their hard work and dedication, long days and nights made a dream, a reality!
Thank you tremendously to Scouts BSA Troop 106 and Troop 2019, along with their families, for helping the Grafton Lions bring the Hayride together.
These troops built many of their own scenes, which made for some pretty incredible performances.
Good job to all the Scouts!!
Many thanks to the students of Grafton Job Corps for participating in this year’s Hayride. You all did a phenomenal job scaring our patrons!
Our deepest gratitude to all the volunteers, Lions from Grafton, Mendon, Westborough, and Oxford clubs, friends and family for helping in various tasks leading up to and on the night of the Haunted Hayride. Your help is invaluable!
We are very grateful to the businesses that donated their goods to our concession stand and other donations from family, friends and banking institutions. We appreciate all your support!
A great big shout out to The Witches of Sutton, Witches of Wachusett and the Dancing Witches of Old Salem Village for keeping the crowds entertained while you mesmerized us with your dancing. You were all so wonderful! Thank you for taking the time to participate in our Hayride.
Also, thanks to DJ Trish Dec from TD Entertainment for keeping the tunes pumping. What great music selections! You rock!
Thanks to the Grafton Police Department for keeping our staff and patrons safe both nights, we sincerely appreciate your service!
Thank you kindly to our incredible Hayride tractor drivers for getting our guests safely along the property. They were in good hands! And to our amazing narrators who added that extra liveliness to the ride.
Thanks to our make-up department for making our actors look nice and spooky!
Thank you to our incredible parking crew, you kept the flow of traffic going. And to our concession stand workers who kept our hungry guests fed.
Last but certainly not least, a very special thanks to the Grafton community and surrounding towns for supporting this year’s 2026 Haunted Woods Hayride. Without your support, we couldn’t give back to those in need within our community and beyond.
So thank you tremendously for making our event successful again this year!
Sincerely yours,
The Grafton Lions Club,
& Social Media Chair - Tara Colaizzi.
Photo credit: Tara C., Marianna R., Elaine U.
https://www.graftonlionsclub.org
