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Halloween scares are returning to a familiar West Valley address this fall.
Dark Harvest, an outdoor “immersive horror” experience, is set to open at 99th Avenue and McDowell Road in west Phoenix on Sept. 25.
The 25-acre attraction, which runs through early November on the grounds of DH Farms, will transform the location into what organizers describe as a “sprawling city of fear.” Patrons can explore three elaborately themed haunts and a spooky corn maze, each featuring cinematic-style sets and scares around every corner.
Dark Harvest will also include a large interactive courtyard with live entertainment, roaming costume characters, food vendors and horror film screenings.
Zack Busse, general manager of DJ Farms, says Dark Harvest aims to become a Halloween season destination for Valley residents.
“That’s what we’re shooting for, definitely,” Busse says. “We want people to come and know that we’re trying to become their Halloween hub for the year.”
Local Halloween lovers have been coming to the location for decades. The location is the original home of Fear Farm, a popular Valley haunted attraction that operated on the property from the late 1990s until 2020.
Zack Busse, whose father, Robert Busse, was a former Fear Farm partner, says Dark Harvest will offer “new and different” thrills than its predecessor.
“We’re excited to return to our roots and bring (scares) back at this location,” Zack says.
Benjamin Leatherman
Evil clowns and classic monsters
Zack Busse says Dark Harvest’s three haunts draw inspiration from both classic horror and modern pop culture.
“We’re trying to go unique and do something you don’t see at an outdoor haunted farm attraction,” he says.
Case in point: One haunt, Zany Zeppy’s, channels the spirit of the wildly popular horror game “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” switching up animatronic ghouls for killer clowns.
“Everyone loves that game right now,” Zack Busse says. “It’s a loose homage and is set in a defunct pizzeria run by these mascot clowns. So you wander through and see who you run into while inside.”
Another haunt, Ravencroft Manor, draws inspiration from old-school horror films. Zack Busse says a haunted mansion-like setting will be populated by classic movie monsters.
“You’ll run into vampires, werewolves and creepy characters of that nature,” he says.
Dark Harvest will also feature a scarecrow maze steeped in homespun horror, Zack Busse says.
“It’s based on classic farm tropes where you’ll go through different barn scenes and withered crop fields,” he says. “There’s a farmer turning humans into scarecrows to keep people out of his crops.”
Dark Harvest’s patrons can also interact with costumed characters like Flinch the Clown in the courtyard area.
“We’ll have our mascot clowns and other characters and creatures out there roaming the courtyard,” Busse says.
The outdoor gathering space won’t be just for monsters. On select weekends, Busse says local bands and musicians will perform.
“We’ll always be playing music throughout our PA system, but from time to time on the busier weekends, we’ll have some live entertainment,” he says.
Dark Harvest. Opens Friday, Sept. 25, at DH Farms, 5109 N. 99th Ave. Open select nights through Nov. 1, with hours until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays in October and nightly operations from Oct. 25 through Nov. 1. Tickets will be available soon at darkharvestaz.com.
