BY JESSALYN KIRCHHOFF
The Haunted Hays City Historic Tours is an annual community activity put on by the Hays Community Theatre. This event, which takes place this weekend, consists of a walking tour that takes guests on a ghostly hour through downtown Hays.
Hays Community Theatre (HCT) Board Member and official organizer for the haunted tours, Sharona Fondoble, gives a brief overview of what participants can anticipate for the night.
“Tour walkers will meet many historical figures from Hays City in the days of the wild west,” she said. “To name a few, some pioneers, the Blue Light Lady, and of course the infamous Wild Bill.”
She continued by highlighting a few of the interactions that will occur during the tour.
“There will be some (staged) gunfights and a trip down the haunted alley in which your tour guide will keep you on the path in addition to warning you which characters are best to steer clear of,” she said.
Fondoble also gives a sneak peek into one of her favorite characters that will be making an appearance from the beyond.
“Personally, I like the story of Ms. Louie Lord. She was an actress from Chicago who traveled around doing shows. Most likely, the only reason there is any record of her being in Hays was because of a hotel burning while she was in it,” Fondoble said. “People always think she is a made-up character for the tours, but she was a real person.”
Originally started in 2015, the event was utilized as a fundraiser to get the money to complete the handicap-accessible restrooms at the 11th street location. The tour was drawn off of a script written by a local writing group, The Inkplots, which was based on historical information of real people, or real events in Hays City.
Years later, HCT has continued to use this event to fund their organization.
“We have done the historic tours annually as a fundraiser. We do our best to keep production costs low to non-existent and all money earned goes to HCT to pay general bills as well as to fund the upcoming shows,” Fondoble said.
Fondoble speaks about how this particular event does not take as much time as the other shows and is an easy way for those willing to help out the cause, saying the event is a really fun event with low time commitment for our volunteers.
“Some people who want to be involved are unable to commit the six weeks or so it takes for a regular show, but they can pretty easily block out the few days it takes as an actor, to help make this come together,” she said.
The overall goal of HTC is to provide opportunities to perform and to share the talents of those within the community. They are looking to challenge and inspire individuals of all ages and backgrounds to share their talents through theatrical productions. Not just as actors, but through every aspect of theatre, including directing, stage crew, lighting, set and costume design and so much more. HCT is 100% volunteer-based and all of the money made gets put right back into the theatre.
This year the event will take place on October 21st and 22nd, from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. Tour groups will leave every 15 minutes. Those interested in a specific time, especially if you are with a group, should pre-purchase online. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased at www.hctks.com/events or on the day of the event at the door.