JAMESTOWN — A unique Halloween-themed event is making its return to Historic Jamestowne this fall.
The program, “Tales of All Hallows’ Eve: A Haunted Evening at Historic Jamestowne,” will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m.
“The program is like telling stories around a bonfire after dark on Jamestown Island,” said Jamestown Rediscovery Communications Manager Angel Johnston. “We tell different traditional stories of witchcraft, of monsters, of demonology, from the different cultures who lived here.”
Different 17th-century Virginia character interpretations of eyewitness accounts will bring to life scary stories from the past. The program aims to provide a greater historical context for the fear of the unknown.
“Living here in Jamestown was probably very scary,” said Johnston. “The folks who arrived here are alone. One of the things that I try to remind visitors of is that when you’re out here and it’s nighttime, it is dark. As modern people, we might not understand the concept of it being just dark, in the woods, and if you were one of the 104 men or boys who settled here, you don’t have a house yet and you don’t have a door that you can shut yet. For the first couple of weeks they didn’t even have a palisade, a fort wall, they were completely exposed to what is around them and you don’t necessarily know what is around you.”
First-hand accounts of witchcraft and the supernatural will be shared through character interpretations from the different cultures who lived in the area in the 17th century. There will be tales from both Virginia Indians describing the battle between good and evil, and the English sharing stories that are translated from their home country.
While the program is meant to be scary, it does not include jump scares, and there is no gore involved. Jamestown Rediscovery encourages families to check out the event, however, Johnston told WYDaily that due to the scary themes, it may not be appropriate for very young children.
For more information on how to get tickets, visit Historic Jamestowne’s official website.
