By Bob Bong
The Halloween fans at Midnight Terror in Oak Lawn have decided to extend the haunted house season into the holidays with their eighth annual Christmas Fear weekend in December.
Savage Santas, eerie elves, and sinister snowmen will be running amok and showing off their own kind of Christmas spirit at the haunted house at 5520 W. 111th St. on December 15, 16, and 17.
Christmas Fear allows thrill seekers to engage in an interactive holiday-themed haunted attraction and indulge in festive frights where characters like Jack Frost, Krampus, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus can be a lot more naughty than nice.
“So many younger people today no longer believe in Santa and have abandoned Christmas traditions. Christmas Fear helps scare some Christmas spirit back into visitors in a fun but frightening way,” says haunt creator/owner Justin Cerniuk. “It’s become an increasingly popular event every December at Midnight Terror. Many of our fans say they enjoy Christmas Fear more than our Halloween attraction in October. It’s a way to extend the season for horror lovers deeper into the calendar and help our guests relieve some of the stress and worries that accompany the busy holiday season.”
Cerniuk and his crew redecorate every room and passage of the 26,000-square-foot haunted house for the December event, creating a properly themed immersive and interactive experience. All the classic characters and iconography associated with the holiday are represented – including Yuletide lights, Christmas trees, gingerbread men, and the North Pole, but they’re given a terrifying twist and whimsically macabre spin. Christmas Fear imagines an end-of-year holiday in an alternate universe where jump scares and creeping dread dominate. Visitors must complete various activities to proceed from one phase of the haunt to the next, including building a spooky snowman, volleying snowballs at demented elves, and giving a holiday gift to Jack Frost.
A portion of the proceeds from Christmas Fear ticket sales will be donated to Christmas Without Cancer, a local non-profit that provides holiday gifts, as well as basic necessities to local families that are stricken with cancer. This year, Midnight Terror is also partnering with Haunters Against Hate – a non-profit dedicated to eradicating bullying, prejudice, discrimination, hate speech, and action against the LGBTQ+ community – which will have a booth in the gift shop.
Families with younger children can attend a lights-on family-friendly Christmas Fear event on Saturday, December 16, from noon to 3 p.m. during which actors in non-scary Christmas costumes will take photos and high-five kids as they walk through the brightly illuminated haunt. Families can also pose for a group digital photo with Krampus, which can be downloaded later for free.
General admission tickets for Christmas Fear range from $20 to $35 per person. There’s also a Fast Pass admission of $40 online or $45 at the door.
Christmas Fear is wheelchair-accessible and open, rain or shine, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Parking is free.
For more information, check out MidnightTerror.com or email info@midnightterror.com
Bell Fuels opens in Bridgeview
Bell Fuels last month officially opened a new dispatch facility in Bridgeview at 757 W. 79th Street.
The company is one of the most-well known and recognized independent petroleum marketers in the Midwest, employing union drivers and providing fueling services for equipment, trucks, and generators.
Bell Fuels held the ribbon cutting on October 19 to signify the grand opening of the terminal and to give people a chance to meet the new leadership team.
Bridgeview Trustees Patricia Higginson, Norma Pinion, and Gary Lewis attended the event along with Mayor Steven Landek who cut the ceremonial ribbon.
“I’m happy to have a company here in Bridgeview that plays a vital role in supporting construction, transportation, and generator operation,” Landek said. “It’s clear that Bell Fuels saw and seized the great opportunity our community offers just as so many other businesses have.”
Landek was among the group that then toured the facility with a Bell Fuels representative to learn about the facility operations and renovations done to the building.
Bridgeview Chamber of Commerce Vice President Vic Portillo and Director Paul Domico also attended the grand opening to meet the Bell Fuels leadership team and discuss business in Bridgeview.
Chamber hosts food and toy drives
The Bridgeview Chamber of Commerce & Industry is hosting its 34th annual Food & Toy Drive.
Food and toys are being collected until December 6. Chamber members throughout Bridgeview are serving as official collection sites.
The chamber has distributed toys over the years to the local school districts for many families in need. We have made food drops to local pantries and other community service organizations that have assisted hundreds of individuals and families in need.
All donors will be recognized in the Chamber Newsletter and its Facebook page.
Please make checks payable to the Bridgeview Chamber of Commerce & Industry or call the office at 708-598-1700 to make a donation by credit card.
If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.