Arriving at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre on this particular fall evening I am greeted by a full parking lot and a yellow glow in the windows. Inside a crowd has gathered for the opening of a new exhibit at the NB Craft Council, little girls sit on the staircases lacing up their dance shoes and people come and go from the centre’s café. CSAC is its bright and welcoming self but come October 30, it will be a different story. Thanks to our own mad scientists, the Engineers & Geoscientists of Fredericton, CSAC will soon be transformed into a spooky haunted house.
I meet up with Bill Lamey, Chair of the Fredericton Council, who is just about to give a tour of CSAC to Jessica and Tracy from AMEC. Theirs is just one of the many local engineering organizations and firms putting its creativity and technical expertise to work in the Haunted House.
Bill explains that this was the right event with the right organization at the right time. With more than 1300 members, the Fredericton branch of the Association of Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick is one of the largest in the province. They were in search of a marquee fundraising event and the folks at CSAC were in search of a sponsor. Last spring the two organizations came together and started planning the “First Annual Charlotte Street Arts Centre Haunted House Tour.” They hope it will become a yearly event.
As he leads us through back stairwells, long hallways and dark corners, Bill is like a kid in a (terrifying) candy store. He and his fellow volunteers have put months into planning this Haunted House. In the next few weeks they’ll be putting in countless hours designing, building and staging some truly terrifying vignettes. (And for all you engineers out there - they'd love even more volunteers - you can get in touch with Bill through www.engineersfredericton.ca )
To see for yourself what mischief is created when artistic creativity meets scientific ingenuity, come to the Charlotte Street Arts Centre on October 30th & 31st.
FRIDAY, October 30
Tours of Second Floor & Dungeons
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Guides are required. You can't go this one alone!
$10 per person, $6 with student identification
SATURDAY, October 31
Family Tours
3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Bring the kids for a self-guided family tour.
$3 per person or $10 for a family.
Tours of Second Floor & Dungeons
6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Guides are required. You can't go this one alone!
$10 per person, $6 with student identification
