Dell’Osso’s Halloween hysteria

1237
0
IN FOR A SCARE: Clockwise, Danelle Ferrari and her brothers stand outside the haunted house. PHOTO BY VALERIE SMITH
IN FOR A SCARE: Clockwise, Danelle Ferrari and her brothers stand outside the haunted house. PHOTO BY VALERIE SMITH
IN FOR A SCARE: Danelle Ferrari and her brothers stand outside the haunted house. PHOTO BY VALERIE SMITH

Dell’Osso Family Farm, located at 26 Stewart Road in Lathrop, has outdone itself once again.

The notorious pumpkin maze opened on Oct. 5, and placed as second-best pumpkin maze in the Sacramento region.

Yvonne Sampson, Dell’Osso marketing manager gleamed with excitement over the news.

“It’s amazing that we’ve reached Sacramento we’re an hour away,” she said.

Open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., but crowds are abundant at all hours.

“If we didn’t close the gates, everyone would be coming all hours of the night,” said Sampson.

This will be the last weekend the Pumpkin Maze will be open, and there’s only one week left to sneak in Halloween fun at the farm.

Saturdays and Sundays can range from 20,000 to 27,000 people in attendance, which is why staff urges people to try to come during the week.

TREATS AWAIT: A father and son pick out candy in the country store. PHOTO BY VALERIE SMITH
TREATS AWAIT: A father and son pick out candy in the country store. PHOTO BY VALERIE SMITH

“I have a passion and love for acting in the haunted house every year,” said Danelle Ferrari, Dell’Osso farm assistant manager and haunted house actor.

Ferrari is a trained theater actress who has done movies, theater, and television shows in the past.

One day she was on her way to the Bay Area to film a television show, and she saw Dell’ Osso on the side of the road, she stopped in out of curiosity, and has been a part of the farm family ever since.

“Five years later, I’m still here, I love it here,” she said.

The haunted house theme this year is scary tales, putting a fun twist and eerie feeling into story book characters.

“Not every scary tale has a happy ending,” said Ferrari.

This weekend Weston Ranch High School students will participate in the frights, all around the farm. The students will be put in makeup, and trained by haunted house actors.

There will be 40 actors placed throughout the farm.

One new main attraction for children is the pumpkin Pirate Party for boys and girls, which corresponds with the Pumpkin Princess Party across the way.

PIECED TOGETHER: The donated Jack Skellington from Smog Check Unlimited, made from car parts. PHOTO BY VALERIE SMITH
PIECED TOGETHER: The donated Jack Skellington from Smog Check Unlimited, made from car parts. PHOTO BY VALERIE SMITH

The Pirate Party includes: A captain at the wheel who fires off a cannon to greet his mateys on boar, sing-along pirate cheers, an eye patch, sword and button and pirate speaking lessons.

Jack Skellington, which many may know is from “A Nightmare before Christmas,” is smack dab in the middle of the tricycle course where children ride for free.

Johnny Trujillo and the crew at Smog Check Unlimited in Modesto donated the sculpture.

Sampson said the emphasis is on affordable family fun.

“People ask us why we don’t have one price, because not everyone can afford it so we pride ourselves on having affordable family fun,” Sampson said.

With free attractions, and affordable prices offered, anyone and everyone can attend and just relax.

The main attraction is the pumpkin maze. The food also keeps families and patrons coming back.

The Boatright family has been coming for more than seven years.

“It’s a family tradition,” said Alexis Boatright.

“There it is there,” said Sampson, “I hear that type of thing all the time.”