The Thompson Terror Trail kicked off it’s opening weekend at 20201 215th Ave in Big Lake this past Friday, Oct. 10.  

The first of three weekends.  Upcoming dates are as follows – Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17 and 18, and Oct. 24 and 25 running from dusk until 10 p.m.  The trail is free, but food and money donations are encouraged.  Donations go to support the Food SHARE Program at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Monticello.   

The trail provides entertainment for all ages.  From dusk to 7:15 p.m., children and adults can travel the trail free of scare actors.  After that, anyone entering the trail should prepare themselves to be frightened. 

Jamie Paulson, who hosts the event, explained the trail began five years ago because her grandson Weston got too old to trick or treat.  Originally, only neighbors and friends were invited, but as they told others, the trail grew to accommodate more people.  That gave Paulson the idea to use the trail to raise food for food SHARE where she volunteers regularly.  She explained they expect a thousand visitors for the event and hoped to top the 600-lbs of food they collected last year.    

Weston is now one of the scare actors--as is his mother, Kayla Schermer.  Volunteers are also neighbors. Jason Hedin and his kids Clayton and Charlee are scare actors too. On any night, up to 15 volunteers help out.  Paulson has also received help from Kwik Trip in Big Lake, who donated a $100 gift card which she used to purchase hot dog buns.  Every Saturday they provide free hot dogs and every Friday and Saturday, free hot cocoa. 

Paulson shared that the trail can’t get much bigger than it is now because she’s running out of room to store all the displays.