Haunted Hayride and Fall Social Brings Spooky Fun to Twin Oaks Farm
East Texas A&M students brought eerie charm to Twin Oaks Farm through creativity, community and collaboration.
This feature is part of East Texas A&M's annual October Spooky Stories Series. Stay tuned for more eerie tales and campus curiosities throughout the month.
East Texas A&M University's Twin Oaks Farm for Experiential Learning was transformed into a scene straight out of a Halloween movie on Oct. 30, when wildlife and agricultural students hosted the university's first-ever Fall Social and Haunted Hayride.
The free, student-led event welcomed community members, families and students for an evening of eerie storytelling, fall festivities and campus spirit under an autumn moon.
The idea began over the summer when students Elizabeth Weinmann and Cailan Long—along with a few friends—were sitting around a table tossing out fun ideas for future events.
“The first idea was a headless horseman,” Weinmann recalled. “Cailan shared how her grandmother used to take part in a spooky hayride where she played the headless horseman, and we thought maybe we could do the same, or at least something fun for our farm.”
At first, it was just a fun discussion. The students weren't sure such an event would be approved, given that the idea of zombies, witches and a chainsaw-wielding butcher might not seem “on brand” for what they were doing on the farm. But when they pitched the concept to Dr. Grace Ogden, an assistant professor of agronomy, she saw the potential right away.
“They're building something really cool out here by hosting this event,” Ogden said. “They're building their own skills and also building community amongst their friends and the city of Commerce. It's really special because they recognize that what they're doing on this farm is bigger than themselves. They're drawing attention to Twin Oaks, and it's a really important time to build something like this in our community.”
From there, planning kicked into high gear. Weinmann, a wildlife and conservation science major, and Long, a horticulture major, teamed up with classmates Peyton Langford and Mckenzie Thummel to lead the project. About a dozen students joined in, most volunteering as actors and crew members.
Preparation began with carving pumpkins, building props and designing the haunted route. A pleasant patch of grass became a graveyard, the vegetable rows turned into zombie territory and a cluster of trees transformed into a witchy wonderland. The students used thrifted materials and handmade decorations to create their scenes.
Twigs were tied into Blair Witch–style figurines, gravestones were erected ominously in the grass, ghostly figures were hung from trees, and a greenhouse was wrapped in caution tape, with the haunting silhouette of a person pleading for help from one of the windows. A student makeup artist added a gruesome finishing touch, transforming classmates into everything from ghouls and werewolves to a butcher with a buzzing chainsaw.
The group held a dress rehearsal on Oct. 29, braving brisk, cold winds that threatened to carry any untethered decorations into the distance. Fortunately, the weather for the real event the next evening was perfect—a light breeze and clear skies were a welcome change.
When guests arrived at Twin Oaks Farm, they were greeted by tables decorated with pumpkins and Halloween displays, the smell of apple cider and snacks in the air, and the sound of upbeat music. The fall social offered plenty of ways to enjoy the evening before the hayrides began. Attendees played cornhole, giant Jenga and tic-tac-toe using miniature pumpkins. Others joined a game of nature bingo, hunting around the farm to spot fun items like a pear tree, a green pumpkin, an angry scarecrow and even a stuffed Lucky the Lion.
At 6 p.m., the youth hayride began, offering families a cheerful, non-scary ride through the fields. As darkness fell, the haunted version took over. Long climbed into the tractor seat to pull the wagon, while Weinmann acted as the spooky tour guide, narrating the journey and pointing out lurking figures in the shadows. Guests screamed and laughed as zombies chased the wagon, witches cackled from the trees and the infamous butcher revved his chainsaw in the dark.
Even university leadership came out to experience the fun. President Mark Rudin said he was proud of the students' creativity and initiative.
“I'm impressed by these students, and by this whole idea of experiential learning. They do things on the farm and the land and put on events like this, but they use it as a learning opportunity,” Rudin said. “I'm hoping tonight will bring more people onto the farm, showing folks what they do out here and getting the community engaged and partaking in the educational programs we offer.”
Ogden agreed, noting that this is just the beginning of big things for Twin Oaks Farm. “The university has made a concerted effort to invest in Twin Oaks and help us revitalize it, and we're very appreciative of that,” she said. “Over the next year the farm is going to really shape up into something the community is proud of.”
As the hayrides went on into the night, with screams of laughter—and perhaps a few of fear—echoing through the trees, the typically quiet farm was alive with imagination, teamwork and a touch of Halloween mischief.
If the turnout and excitement were any indication, the Fall Social and Haunted Hayride might just become a new East Texas A&M tradition—a place where vampires, zombies and future scientists and farmers all share in the same fun.
