The spooky season is in full swing as Americans are expected to spend over $13 billion on Halloween-related activities, with about $300-$500 million going towards haunted attractions. The article delves into Markoff's Haunted Forest in Maryland, one of the largest haunted attractions in the country, which has been operating since 1992 and employs hundreds of staff members to create a terrifying yet entertaining experience. Director of operations Paul Brubacher and makeup manager Chris Knowles provide insights into how the attraction operates, emphasizing safety measures and creative makeup techniques. Scare-actor Robert Doyle discusses why people enjoy being scared, suggesting that facing fears in a controlled environment gives them a sense of accomplishment.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Don't be scared: Being afraid is outright fun, and maybe useful
Don't be scared: Being afraid is outright fun, and maybe useful
It's October and that can only mean one thing – the spooky season is in full swing.
asserted
season → mean → swing
Americans are expected to spend more than $13 billion dollars on celebrating this season, whether that's on horror films, costumes, candy or attractions, according to the National Retail Federation.
uncertain
that → expect → Federation
As much as $300 - $500 million of that spending comes from attending a haunt, where people willingly give up their hard-earned cash to be frightened.
asserted
people → come → cash
And tens of millions of people take part in this kind of activity every year.
asserted
millions → take → activity
But why do people like getting scared?
asserted
people → like → ?
The search for that answer starts with one of the largest haunted attractions in the country, Markoff's Haunted Forest in Dickerson, Maryland.
asserted
search → start → Dickerson
Markoff's has more than a mile of haunted trails and dozens of themed haunted houses.
asserted
Markoff → have → houses
It employs hundreds of engineers, retail attendants, makeup artists and actors.
asserted
It → employ → engineers
Open since 1992, the attraction starts with towering skull-emblazoned wooden gates reminiscent of folk horror movies like "The Wicker Man."
asserted
attraction → start → Man
Just inside, director of operations Paul Brubacher stands in between two huge bonfires.
asserted
Brubacher → stand → bonfires
"Some of our designers, including myself, have done some music festivals before.
asserted
Some → include → festivals
So yeah, that's the inspiration… from kind-of [a] Van Helsing vampire village aspect of things," Brubacher says.
asserted
Brubacher → say → things
There is hardly a thing that happens in this haunt without him knowing.
asserted
him → be → haunt
"This is an emergency radio that we have in each one of our scenes.
asserted
we → have → scenes
In case an actor has a problem or somebody falls down and needs to be evacuated," Brubacher says.
asserted
Brubacher → fall → problem
Before hitting the trail, he takes us behind the scenes to a barn where scare-actors are getting finishing touches of makeup.
asserted
actors → hit → makeup
Art director and makeup manager Chris Knowles and his team are using a bevy of pressurized airbrushes to quickly creep-ify all kinds of ghouls, vampires and aliens.
asserted
Knowles → use → ghouls
"It's great because you can get color on really finely or cover areas.
asserted
you → get → areas
[It] swaps colors really quickly as well, which is essential because we've only got like about seven minutes to do the makeup because we got like 100 odd people and two hours to do it," Knowles says.
asserted
Knowles → swap → it
"I love Halloween.
asserted
I → love → Halloween
I love going out and interacting with people, entertaining them, making them laugh.
asserted
them → go → them
Giving them a good scare, you know, giving them a good dopamine rush," Doyle says.
asserted
Doyle → give → rush
Doyle has played all kinds of frightening characters in his five years at Markoff's.
asserted
Doyle → play → Markoff
Doyle thinks people keep coming back to places like Markoff's to face down their fears safely.
asserted
people → think → fears
"People want to challenge themselves and they can say they accomplished something," Doyle says.
asserted
Doyle → want → something
Another scare-actor, wearing a black top hat and looking like a cross between a straw and hair covered zombie, and hoodoo shaman is ready for his opening night.
His day-walker name is Jermaine Hoes.
asserted
name → wear → night
"I am something that you see when you wake up at 3 o'clock in the morning," Hoes says.
asserted
Hoes → see → morning
Hoes has been a scare actor at different haunts around Maryland for years, and he says his reason for moonlighting as a horrific beast is pretty simple.
asserted
reason → say → beast
"I like scaring people.
asserted
I → scar → people
I like to make you run and scream and holler everywhere," Hoes says.
asserted
Hoes → like → ?
Leaving the actors so they can get into character, it's time to take to the trail, which begins with an ominous, steady heartbeat pumping through hidden speakers.
asserted
which → leave → speakers
The trail is dark, foggy and winding.
asserted
trail → wind → ?
It's constructed in such a way that you can't escape the scares.
asserted
you → construct → scares
Even trying to escape signals to the actors that you're ripe for a fright.
asserted
you → try → fright
The trail is barely a mile, but between the terrain and its twists, it can take more than an hour to get through.
asserted
it → take → hour
Voices cry out in pain and shriek in fear.
asserted
Voices → cry → fear
Many seem menacing.
asserted
Many → seem → ?
"You can join us," one voice in the shadows snickers.
asserted
voice → join → shadows
"Don't you want your face on one of these pumpkins?," another cackles.
asserted
another → want → pumpkins
"It just takes a little bit of a beating!
asserted
It → take → beating
…and 35 more, not listed.
The Aporia
