I remember sitting in the computer lab one day in sixth grade and overhearing a conversation about a place called ValleySCARE. I had no clue what it was at the time, and to this day ValleySCARE still remains sort of a mystery to me. I’ve never been there out of a paranoid fear that a murderous, chainsaw-clad clown will come after me and haunt my nightmares for years to come.

As a person scared of all things Halloween, the holiday for me means one thing only––candy. Before now, I haven’t had the slightest interest in ValleySCARE, but as I settle into my senior year, I’ve realized that it’s a fear that needs to be conquered. If I can survive seventeen Minnesota winters, I should be able to survive three hours of ValleySCARE.

There’s always been a part of me that’s been curious as to what really goes on at ValleySCARE, but it’s my sanity that keeps me grounded on the couch at home each year instead of going there to find out for myself. That, and I would have to bother someone to drive me out there, as the driver’s-licenseless girl that I am.

How does the average scaredy-cat prepare for something like a trip to the rather infamous Valleyfair “Halloween Haunt?” Overwhelmingly, the most common piece of advice I’ve received is “go with a group and stay with that group at all cost.” That and “avoiding dark spots all together,” are the two most important things to keep in mind while roaming the park.

To prepare, I might consider facing my lifelong fear of watching Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban and not closing my eyes as the dementors appear. To reinforce my meticulously thought out preparations, I will also try sleeping a night in my room without any stuffed animals and my closet door open. One last preparation I will attempt is to kick my mother out of my room and refuse to let her read me my bedtime story.

Despite the fact that the characters are barred from touching any of the guests milling around the park or various haunted houses, they are allowed to get right in your face to scare you. I’ve been told that the insane asylum-themed haunted house can get frightful and is a good one to avoid if you are a first-time ValleySCARE goer.

So just in case I don’t make it out of Valleyfair’s “Halloween Haunt” this year, at least now I can be confident that I’m prepared to take on whatever the event throws at me.