The Hell Country Haunt, put on by Hell Country Productions Inc., takes place every Friday and Saturday in October as a fundraiser for the Burke Center for Youth in Driftwood.
Aaron Sulser, founder of Hell Country Productions Inc., is a lifelong fan of Halloween and haunted houses. Growing up in the Midwest, his mother would decorate elaborate set-ups for trick-ortreaters during the month of October. When Sulser then moved to California as an adult, his love for Halloween did not dissipate. He began setting up backyard haunts for neighbors, which only got bigger when he moved to Texas.
“The problem was that it got too big because we started having people from other neighborhoods kind of coming in,” said Sulser, who approached the city of Dripping Springs with a plan for a local haunted house in 2021. “When I found out about the Burke Center, that was kind of perfect because then I could kind of honor her memory with inspiring me for Halloween and all the haunted house stuff and then, also donate to a charity.”
Since 2021, the Hell Country Haunt has only grown. Partnering with the city and the Dripping Springs Ranch Park, the Haunt donates about 30% of the proceeds to the Burke Center, which is a nonprofit organization that benefits boys in foster care. According to its website, the center provides “therapeutic experiences and treatment services at the ranch to young men and boys from all parts of Texas. The Burke Center also provides Foster and Adoption services to over 100 Texas children annually.”
Because of its charity status, the Haunt runs on volunteers. It offers service hours to local high school students who help out during setup, as well as during the nights when the Haunt is running. Sulser said that they are always looking for actors and volunteers for running the Haunt throughout the month of October.
Looking to the future of the Haunt, Sulser stated that he wants it to stay much like it is: a small, local haunted house for Dripping Springs and the surrounding community.
“I know it sounds cheesy, but when I stand at the back door and watch people come out, their experiences are like my payment. When I see them, they're screaming, but then they're laughing,” said Sulser. “Some of them, they keep crying, unfortunately, but a lot of them, when I see them laughing, to be able to give them something like that, you can't just do that in your normal job.”
The Hell Country Haunt runs from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in October at the Dripping Springs Ranch Park.
A new feature added this year is “Blackout Hour,”— only available on Oct. 19 and 26. This is an hour that starts at 11 p.m. where all the lights in the Haunt are turned off and guests can only use the glow stick they are given to get through it.
Tickets for the Haunt are available now online or can be purchased the day of. Blackout Hour tickets are only available while at the Haunt.
“The people that have come out, and they come out every year, I want to thank them for being loyal,” said Sulser. “And then everybody that helps, even if it's nailing one board together, it's one less board I've got to do.”
To buy tickets or to volunteer, visit the Hell Country Haunt’s instagram page (@ hellcountryhaunt) or go to its website at www.hellcountryhaunt.com.
