A stroll into the woods southwest of campus might end with a glimpse of trees, bushes and maybe a raccoon, but at Kappa Sigma’s seven-acre lodge, these trails turn downright terrifying during their annual Wicked Woods Halloween event.
Each year, about 5,000 thrill seekers venture through uneven and bushy trails. Their screams pierce the night as corpse-like clowns, petrifying pigs and macabre monsters with chainsaws emerge from the shadows.
Nuclear engineering junior Christian Smith was the Dr. Frankenstein of the event this year and had many different scares cooked up in his cauldron from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31. Smith is the philanthropy chair for the fraternity.
“My role was probably one of the most important roles, as this is one of the largest philanthropy events in the nation for our fraternity,” Smith said.
Launched 26 years ago, Wicked Woods has become a Halloween staple, with all the proceeds benefiting the Military Heroes Campaign and the Brazos Valley Food Bank. The fraternity added a spooktacular twist: a discount for guests who bring canned food to support their cause. Smith said hundreds of cans have already been donated.
“At the end of the day, we want to make sure the organizations we donate to are well-off and are supported,” Smith said.
Over time, Wicked Woods evolved from a simple spooky trail into an intricate horror experience. Concession stands offer delicious snacks, and Smith said themed merchandise enhances the overall experience for every horror fan.
“You always want to do better than the year before,” Smith said.
This year, the design team added open areas and eerie structures within the trails that lift visitors off the ground as they step into a sinister, carnival-esque nightmare. Shadows loom in dark alleyways where monsters wait behind black tarp walls, ready to leap out and send a jolt of fear through unsuspecting guests. Smith said they never previously had builds going through the trails, and the point was to create an experience never before seen by the fraternity.
“A huge part of this is focusing on time management and making sure we have everything done before opening night,” Smith said. “We wanted this experience to be different from all others, so a lot of planning went into this.”
As any epic monster movie, bringing this event to life took a crew of dedicated monsters. Smith said he appreciated the roughly 230 Kappa Sigma brothers who pitched into finding wood for the builds, finding sponsorships and putting in time outside of class to give the woods a spooky makeover.
Finance sophomore Daniel O’Loughlin, a second-year veteran of Wicked Woods, has taken on multiple frightful roles. He said he has dressed up as a clown scaring kids, haunted the asylum, prowled the graveyard and even charged at visitors with a roaring chainsaw. This year, he serves as a scene leader and starts up the scares.
“This year has been great,” O’Loughlin said. “Everyone came together to bring this event to life and I love seeing people get scared and this is also a great cause.”
Bryan resident Brittany Ofczarzak brought her two young boys to Wicked Woods on Friday, Oct. 25, drawn by the thrill of the area’s haunted house experience. She said she always knew about this event and was looking forward to bringing her family.
“It’s fun enough for the little ones, and it’s scary enough for the big ones,” Ofczarzak said. “We would definitely come back.”
Whether it’s the haunted maze or the captives in the tortuous jail, Wicked Woods offers spine-chilling scenes for every thrill seeker. Each attraction is crafted to keep visitors on edge, blending suspense, shock and plenty of fear along the trail.
“I want people to come out and have a fun time and know that this event is for a good cause,” Smith said.
