22228464_1688951454456575_3648426274935105296_nIt’s true, even if it is just for one night. On Saturday, October 14, the second annual Nitro Festival of Fright will turn the parking lot at Ridenour Lake into a Drive-in Theater as they present “Terror At The Drive-in.” The automotive movie screening caps off a day that starts at 4 PM and features pumpkin carving, local artists, food vendors and tons of events for the entire family to experience a little pre-Halloween fun.

There will be inflatables, a coffin ride, a zombie shoot, and pumpkin races for kids (and kids-at-heart) to enjoy. J.R. Earls, a terrific local artist will be on hand to draw “scare-ictures.” Psychics will be there to ask you to roll down your windows so they can tell you how the movies end. Local horror author Edward Holsclaw will attend, and there will be ghost hunting with the Ghostbusters West Virginia Division. There will even be a “Trail of Terror” haunted trail.

The Drive-in Movies are the big attraction. At dusk it all begins with It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Just like in the latter days of the drive-ins, you can tune your car’s FM radio to a channel to hear the sound. After Charlie Brown, you can get down with the work of Danny Boyd, West Virginia’s horror movie pioneer. Both his locally-made horror classics, Chillers and Invasion of the Space Preachers will be among the scary movies shown. Danny will be there, as will Eliska Hahn, who played Nova in Space Preachers. It’s always great seeing Danny and the evening may even turn into a bit of a reunion if other actors from his films show up.

This is the brainchild of Jim Caudill and Tim Arnott (Tim being of Third Floor Comics and Collectibles fame). Those two, along with an army of volunteers, have put this all together to entertain the public, and it’s all free (except for a one-dollar donation to the Cub Scouts for the haunted trail, and the price of food and whatever wares the vendors have to sell). This looks like loads of fun, the movies are free and there’s plenty of stuff for the entire family.

It all happens at Ridenour Lake in Nitro, starting at 4 PM this Saturday.

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