Northern Michigan summers bring residents festivals, beach days, and tourist frustrations. It isn’t until after Labor Day, when kids are going back to school, that previously extinct parking spots on Front Street reemerge.

 

As October begins, the long 55 MPH roads that define the region are changing. Reds, oranges, and yellow paint horizon lines and offer scenic backdrops to seasonal attractions. The weather will continue to get colder, and the tourist crowds of summer will continue to dwindle. 

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For local businesses, this can be a time for stress, but for residents it can feel like the town is finally relaxing. Fall attractions begin to open, bringing new and exciting things for locals to do in the fall. 

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For many, attractions like pumpkin patches, haunted houses, and fall treats are staples of northern Michigan autumn. One such is Screams in the Dark, a haunted house and trail located on a 40-acre property in Kalkaska. 

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Each year the attractions offer new appeals. This year their highlights include an improved midway. Stands such as Street Fizz - a dirty soda cart - and Gibby's Fries. They have also branched out to ride-like attractions as well. Over the past couple of seasons, they have added a burial simulator that simulates the feeling of being buried while in a casket, and a human gyroscope. 

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Cameron Sinclair, a second year criminal justice student at NMC got to see a sneak peak of the haunt this year. Sinclair has been a long time enjoyer of the haunt since his family moved to Traverse City. “Screams in the Dark was an amazing experience, as it is every year,” said Sinclair, “the haunted house and clown circus are probably the biggest staples of the haunt… my favorite part every year has been the cult section, I’ve always admired the detail they put into it.”

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Another new addition to Screams in the Dark is a “no scare night” where there are no active animatronics or scare actors walking the house and trail to frighten guests. It offers a unique opportunity for people to admire the scenery, or experience the haunt if they are afraid to on a normal night. Dallas Corcoran, a local to Traverse City, traveled out to Kalakska with her mother and brother on a “no scare night”. They were hesitant at first, as haunted houses aren't something her family normally go for, but Corcoran stated, “It was a nice introduction. We were a little worried about how my brother was going to do at first, but now I think he might be willing to go to a normal night as well”. 

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Looking towards the rest of this season, and next year residents are already buzzing with ideas they would like to see from the haunt, “I hope they add gargoyles to next year’s haunt, or some weeping angles. They always have amazing costumes so I’m sure they could pull it off,” said Sinclair.

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Screams in the Dark isn’t the only attraction starting up in the fall. Leaf tours are beginning, and pumpkin patches are opening. Locations such as both Jacob’s and Gallagher's farms have been staples of fall vibes and experiences. 

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“It never gets old going to a pumpkin patch; I look forward to it every year. It always feels like there is something new or if there isn’t, it doesn't make it any less fun,” said Corcoran. But these experiences don’t have to be cookie-cutter. 

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Some families, like the Corcorans, have their own unique traditions. “About seven years ago my grandma passed, and every year around fall we make a trip out to a park we like, where the leaves turn super pretty and have a picnic in remembrance of her,” said Corcoran, “but every year something goes wrong. We forget to pack something, we pack the wrong thing, it's always something. But that's part of the tradition, that's exactly what would have happened if she was still with us.”

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For many residents, fall means less about new and exciting activities, but returning to what we are grateful for: great views, food, and memories. The cooler temperatures set a slower pace than we experience in the summer.

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This period will not last forever. Soon, snow will begin to fall, and another staple of northern Michigan will appear: snowstorms. There is anxiety among residents because of the conditions of last winter. “I am curious to see how tourism is in the fall this year. The amount of people we get to come up in the fall is already small, but with that ice storm in Gaylord, and the flooding last spring, how much of that land is still damaged?” said Corcoran. 

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Regardless of what the future holds in winter and tourism, it is important for us to embrace what we have now. The air is cooling, attractions are opening, and vibes are shifting. As of September 22, it is officially fall.