Prepare to be scared.

Thursday, October 25, 2001

Prepare to be scared.

The Albert Lea Fire Explorers’ haunted house in the north horse barn at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds promises fun for young and old alike.

The haunted house features an indoor maze with strobe lights, scary music and lots of surprises, said Eric Anderson, Fire Explorers’ advisor.

Outside, there will be kids’ games, a kids’ maze with hay bales, face painting and food. There will also be a campfire.

James Melton, Fire Explorers chief, said the group had originally thought of using only part of the building. But after the group visited Spooky World in Shakopee, they got plenty of ideas and decided to go all-out.

The 20 Explorers have been working since Oct. 8 -&160;after school, nights and weekends -&160;building the haunted house, and literally logging hundreds of hours. They’ve gotten lots of donations, including a sizable one from Right Way Roofing, which lent the use of the plywood for the maze.

&uot;And the fair board has been great in letting us have this on the fairgrounds,&uot; Anderson said.

The haunted house is being held from 6-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26 and 27, and again from 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31.

The cost is $3 per person, and children 5 and under will be admitted free.

Visitors are asked to enter the fairgrounds from Richway Drive.

Other area events this weekend include:

Friday, Oct. 26

— The Albert Lea Parks and Recreation Department will hold its family fall carnival, for preschoolers through fifth grade, from 5-7:30 p.m. at the Albert Lea City Arena. There will be free skating, and skates may be rented for $1, or you can bring your own skates. There will be a kids’ costume contest, tattoos, candy and games. Carnival tickets are 20 for $1. People can bring two non-perishable food items to be donated to local food shelves, and they’ll receive 10 free tickets with the purchase of 20. There is a limit of 10 free tickets per family. The concession stand will be open, and there will be free Rock on Ice from 8-9:30 p.m.

— The Albert Lea Fire Explorers’ haunted house will be held from 6-10 p.m. There will also be food and games and activities for the kids. Cost is $3 per person, and children 5 and under will be admitted free. Visitors are asked to enter the fairgrounds from Richway Drive.

— The Albert Lea Community Theatre production of &uot;You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown&uot; will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in the Albert Lea Civic Theatre. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students. For reservations, call the box office at 377-4371.

Saturday, Oct. 27

— The Albert Lea Farmers’ Market opens at 9 a.m. in the Skyline Mall parking lot. Locally grown produce, baked goods and homemade jams and jellies are available for purchase.

— The Albert Lea Community Theatre production of &uot;You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown&uot; will be presented at 2 and 7:30 p.m. in the Albert Lea Civic Theatre. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students. For reservations, call the box office at 377-4371.

— The Story Lady Doll & Toy Museum will host a Twin Cities doll club, who will present a program titled &uot;Let’s Talk Dolls.&uot; The event will be held at 2 p.m. at the doll museum. Call the museum at 377-1820 to make a reservation as seating is limited. The cost (includes the program and pie ala mode plus beverage) is $2 for members and $3 for non-members.

— The Albert Lea Fire Explorers’ haunted house will be held from 6-10 p.m. There will also be food and games and activities for the kids.

— The Albert Lea Solos and Singles will be having a Halloween dance beginning at 8:30 p.m. at the Moose Club, 328 E. Main St., Albert Lea. The Don Holton Band will be playing. There will be door prizes and costume prizes. Admission is $6 for members and $7 for non-members.

Sunday, Oct. 28

— The Albert Lea Masonic Lodge will host an amaranth pancake breakfast at the Union Center from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. The breakfast will benefit the House of Hope in Albert Lea. Cost is $4 for adults and $2.50 for children 10 and under.

— The Kiester Fire Department will hold a pancake breakfast from 7 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The menu includes blueberry pancakes, regular pancakes, French toast, eggs, ham or sausage and beverage. Cost is $5 for adults and $3.50 for children 12 and under. Matching funds will be provided by East Faribault County Lutheran Brotherhood Branch 8328.

— John Koblas of Burnsville will present a slide show, a lecture and book signing at 2 p.m. at the Freeborn County Historical Museum. His new book, &uot;Jesse James Ate Here: An Outlaw Tour and History of Minnesota at the Time of the Northfield Raid&uot; is complied from stories passed down from grandparents who &uot;swear they were there,&uot; although these stories often have no real basis. Some of these stories are real and some may not be. For more information, call the museum at 373-8003.

— Oakland Lutheran Church will hold a lutefisk and meatball supper from 3-7 p.m. The menu includes lutefisk, lefse, meatballs, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, cranberry salad and dessert. Cost is $12 for adults in advance, and $13 at the door. Children 12 and under eat for $5. Tickets are available at Andersen Hallmark Stores or by calling 377-2417. Matching funds will be provided through Lutheran Brotherhood Branch 8482.

— The Myers Art Series of the United Methodist Church of Albert Lea will present a music trio from Rochester, the Trio Musica, at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28. The public is invited to attend. Admission is not charged; however an offering is taken to defray the expenses of the series.

— A &uot;Spook-tacular&uot; Halloween Party and Costume Contest will be held from 4-8 p.m. at the Conger Community Center. There will be horse-drawn wagon rides through Conger, a Tunnel of Terror, many carnival games for youth and old, including a cake walk, duck pond, face painting, goldfish game, pin the wart on the witch and more. There will be a costume contest at 7 p.m. for four age groups. Everyone is invited to attend in a costume. Food will be served in the fire hall. All proceeds raised will benefit the June 2002 Conger Centennial Celebration.