Festival of Fears Moves to Thorpe Farm

A local chiropractor is planning a haunted hayride that he hopes will not only draw crowds and scare them but will help put money back into a local farm.

Tony Gardner has been creating haunted attractions since he first scared a girl so much in college that she asked him to help her family set up a haunted hayride on their farm.

In 1999, Gardner created the Festival of Fears. Over the years, the Festival of Fears has included haunted houses and corn mazes along with entertainment. It has been somewhat nomadic, but always at local farms.

This year, the festival has moved to a new spot and will feature a haunted hayride as well as a corn maze at Thorpe Farm, which is an 150-acre farm on Stoneybrook Road. 

“My goal is to make it the scariest haunted hayride in Bucks County,” said Gardner, who previously won the distinction of the scariest haunted house in Bucks County.

For those who are familiar with Gardner’s Festival of Fears, it will still feature Doc Fright as well as many of the regular cast who have appeared over the years.

The haunted hayride and corn maze are set to open September 30, and will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Halloween, weather permitting.

Gardner prides himself on being able to scare visitors with a “high-startle, low-gore” approach. He pointed out if people are scared too frequently, their guard is higher so he works hard to make sure they are on a roller coaster ride of emotions.

The Festival of Fears will host a battle of the bands contest on Sunday nights, featuring local high school bands.

Gardner said the money raised from the month-long event will help to rebuild Thorpe Farm and eventually enable it to bring in buffalo and bison.

He said he needs 40 to 50 people to help prepare the attractions. He's currently considering applicants for the positions. If interested, check out the event website at http://festivaloffears.com. Contact Gardner for additional information.

Gardner hopes to add a haunted house to the attractions next year as well as multiple trails for the haunted hayride so visitors can ride the hayride several times, each with a different experience.

Tickets for this year’s event are $15 a person for the hayride and $8 a person for the corn maze. A combo ticket can be purchased for $20.

Groups of 15 or more can purchase a combo ticket for $15 a person. Thorpe Farm is located at 371 Stoneybrook Rd.