Haunted Hill treats Chapel Hill families to community, candy, celebration

Local families spooked and showed out on Saturday at Chapel Hill Community Center’s annual Haunted Hill event. 

Over 2,000 people attended, said Howard Stanton, the assistant recreation supervisor of Chapel Hill’s Community Center, who organized the event. 

“It brings the community together," Stanton said. “A lot of people that come aren't even aware of some of the things that are in the backyard of their own community.” 

Attendees were treated to around 40 trunks full of candy from local businesses, organizations and government departments which helped highlight some places that residents may not have known of otherwise, he said. 

Brittany Antognazzi, team lead at Jones Orthodontics in Chapel Hill, said it is important for their office to get involved in the community, and since they are relatively new in the area, this event was a way for them to “get their name out.”

The office decorated their trunk to look like an open mouth with braces and distributed “braces-friendly” treats that would not break a bracket, including Kit Kats and Reese's cups. 

Chapel Hill Baptist Church won the trunk decorating contest with their beach-themed trunk, which had sandboxes for kids to play in. 

The prize was a $500 gift package for Big Air Trampoline Park. The Church’s lead pastor, Brandon Joyner, said they would give it to the Church’s teen youth group. 

In addition to the trunk contest, there was also a pumpkin decorating contest held in the Gene Strowd Community Rose Garden at the Community Center Park. The garden is cared for by Strowd Roses, a charitable foundation that donates to local nonprofits. 

Hudson Fuller, program officer for Strowd Roses, was one of the contest judges. 

Fuller said she loved seeing all of the kids’ creativity with the different pumpkins, some painted, several carved and even a few made out of clay. 

She viewed the Haunted Hill event as a celebration of the community, which she said was refreshing for her to see just a week before Election Day. 

“You know, there's no political signs here,” Fuller said. “There's no blue, no red. This is just our community.” 

Marielys Collazo-Roman said it was her first year living in Chapel Hill, and she was excited to attend the event and have fun with her family. 

The same was true for the Small family, which — contrary to their last name — is a large family. 

Sade Small, who attended with her nieces and nephews, said that she often looks online for free events to take them to. She found out about the Haunted Hill event on the Parks and Recreation website, and they all came dressed in costumes, ready to enjoy the event together as a family. 

As the trunk-or-treating wound down and the sun set, attendees ended the night by gathering on the park’s hill to watch the 2019 animated version of “The Addams Family” projected on a big sheet screen.

Monica Rainey, business operations manager of the Parks and Recreation Department, attended with her mother and nephew.

She said it was nice to see all of the hard work put in by the community center team members come together. 

“It's a lot of work behind the scenes, and the day that it is finally here, and actually see it being executed — it’s worthwhile,” Howard said. 

For more information on upcoming events, follow the Chapel Hill Community Center Climbing Wall & Outdoor Adventure Facebook page or visit the Community Center’s website at townofchapelhill.org. 

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