A Very Haunted Halloween At Fairbrook Manor!
By Kathleen Mest
Last Halloween season, the Duck family, Robert, Kathie, and Xander, created an elaborate, spooky special-effects display in front of their home, free for the community to enjoy. They included a donation bin for the LB Rescue Mission shelter and were able to fill 3+ bins, hosting hundreds of visitors.
Since January, Robert has been busily working on design, build, and props for an expanded maze-style interactive walkthrough. This Halloween, I am excited (and nervous) to visit Fairbrook Manor and I had some questions...
908: For this year’s Halloween, I heard you are going BIGGER! Can you provide a few more details about your plans for this year?
RD: This year we are expanding from a yard display, to a full walk-through. It will be all outdoor, for obvious reasons, and guests will walk through with their own families/groups.
Legend has it... that the prior owner of the manor that once stood on these grounds, Victoria Fairbrook, materializes each year. Our visitors will explore her former home, and find out what tragedies befell Victoria and her family. She is seeking new souls to keep her eternal company... so beware.
908: The maze sounds like quite an endeavor. Could you use some help from the community?
RD: Definitely. I’ll be seeking a small volunteer staff for scare actors, sidewalk crew, and a make-up artist. I’ve reached out to the drama teacher at Millikan who will be announcing to fer classes, but if there are fellow haunters in the community who would want to support and join in the fun, great! I’m open to chatting with anyone who is a Halloween lover and likes to entertain.
908: How can volunteers reach you?
RD: If interested in volunteering, I can be messaged on IG: @fairbrookmanor, or I can be reached at fairbrookmanor@gmail.com.
908: What is the “scare factor” rating on your maze? Will there be an area for our “littles” or people who are scared easily (like me)?
RD: It’s more “spooky” and “creepy” in tone – think Haunted Mansion vibes. You are visiting an old decrepit manor and grounds that stood until the 1930s. There won’t be any gore, really. We plan to offer “Bravery Torches” for the kids who want to experience the manor, but are cautious. The bravery torches will guide their way and keep the actors quiet.
908: I may want a “bravery torch”...Robert, thank you for your time and effort to provide this to the community for free. Also, I love that you have asked visitors to support local shelters with a donation drive. What charity will you be supporting this year?
RD: We will be supporting the Long Beach Rescue Mission again this year. It would be amazing to fill up 10+ bins this year, especially with the homeless situation being at an all-time high. People will be able to drop off canned goods and toiletries at any time, if they don’t bring them when they visit the Manor. There will also be a Venmo set-up, so if someone prefers to donate money, we’ll go buy the food for them. While entry is free, we are suggesting the canned donation as your ticket.
This is our way to have fun during the holiday season we love, bring together the community, and use the foot traffic to gather donations for a good cause. This is our way of giving back to our city. We hope to see everyone in October!
Follow Fairbrook Manor on Instagram for dates, details, and Halloween fun @fairbrookmanor.
Location: Bellflower/Stearns area behind Hof’s Hut.
