A Ride On The Wild Side

Hearse show shares the boo-ty of ‘haunt season’

Jonna Summers Bryant isn't quite sure what to expect Saturday.

"So far we only have confirmation of hearses. We were hoping for a zombie attack vehicle, but it's not confirmed," she says.

FAQ

Rolling Dead Hearse Show

WHEN — 1-6 p.m. Saturday

WHERE — Downtown Gentry

COST — Entry fee to show a car is $20; admission is free

INFO — nwahauntours.com

Weirdly, Bryant is talking not about a funeral or an apocalypse but the Northwest Arkansas Hauntours Rolling Dead Hearse Show. Set for 1-6 p.m. in downtown Gentry, it's intended to raise not zombies but awareness of the upcoming "haunt season." It's a time of year that can't come soon enough for Bryant, who masterminds a "home haunt" at her house in Fayetteville. She was also instrumental in the formation of the Northwest Arkansas Hauntours, "kind of a cooperative of several professional, charity and home haunters and zombie- and Halloween-themed events across Northwest Arkansas," she explains.

"We cross-promote, share ideas, and we are basically trying to elevate the haunted attraction industry by setting a certain standard in the area," she says. "We want people to know if they're going to a member event, they're going to get a certain quality."

The idea for a hearse show seems to be a new one in the region.

"While we don't have any real collectors or clubs in this area, we've got some people coming from as far away as Oklahoma City," Bryant says.

Gentry seemed like the perfect host location, she says, in part because "it's a beautiful little old downtown" and because "Carpenter's Mortuary is one of our haunted houses. It actually used to be a mortuary, so it has that initial creep factor, and they've done a great job putting together a great show there."

In addition to the mortuary spook house, there will be food and music. To reach out to the community, Bryant contacted the high school, and the forensics competitive drama team will dress up as zombies for a car wash. They provide the yuks and get to keep the bucks, she says.

While it's hard even for Bryant to imagine what cars might show up to be "creepy," she says it's not too late to enter. Registration starts at noon.

-- Becca Martin-Brown

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NAN What's Up on 08/21/2015

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