Out the back of a Hunter Valley house sits a nightmare-fuelled maze, waiting for victims as Halloween creeps closer.
The Scary Dreams bush maze is open on Thursday, October 31, until 10pm and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until November 3 from 7.30pm to 11pm at 3 Government Road, Cessnock.
Steven Lindsey Gleeson and his partner, Amy Stothard, have set up a Halloween route filled with random frights, a fake graveyard, zombies, witches, and blood-splattered clowns.
Being chased by a crazed man with a chainsaw was not out of the question either.
Mr Gleeson said he ran the maze for the first time last year, but this year was more extreme.
"People said last year they could go through a few times but this year they can only go through once because it was so scary," he said.
While the maze was quite terrifying, Mr Gleeson said parents could ask to turn the fear-factor down a notch for their kids.
"Some people could have nightmares, we do give them a scare," he said.
People can go through the maze for a gold coin donation with face painting, glow sticks and lolly bags also available to purchase.
It would roughly take visitors between four to five minutes to walk through the maze.
Getting creative for Halloween
In the suburb over, Chris Ekert had hung pixel lights from his Bellbird property to create a spooky light and music show.
On Saturday, October 26, and on Thursday, October 31, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm his house on Cambage street will be lit up with spiders, bats and talking trees.
Mr Ekert said the house lights were controlled and synchronised to select music that ran through the FM 89.90 radio station, which allowed people to tune in from their cars.
Mr Ekert originally ran a Christmas-themed COVID show, but has held a Halloween edition for the past two years.
"It is kind of surprising people reach out to us months in advance, asking if we're going to do it," he said.
"I think you know the cost of living is a problem for a lot of people, so they're looking for something that is free."
Mr Ekert said that the ice-cream truck typically turned up on Halloween night to tempt the crowd waiting for the show.
Houses throughout the region have started gearing up for the scariest day of the year, and Cardiff's Gareth Harrison hopes his place stands out from the rest.
In his front yard, Mr Harrison has part of a Cessna plane tail from a former bar, and a pair of discarded doll legs in the ground.
"Halloween is something you can do anything with," he said.
"I can put a plane out the front of my house, or I can do a movie theme, or you can just try to be as creative as you want."
What's on in the Hunter
As Halloween falls on a weekday, several kids clubs throughout the Hunter are holding events this weekend.
Mayfield West Bowling Club, Club Kotara, and Charlestown Community Centre have family-friendly celebrations this Saturday while Minmi Hotel has its own on Sunday.
Glendale City Centre is offering treat hunting, face painting and balloon twisting on Saturday from 10am to 2pm.
Charlestown Square is holding a Halloween-themed route with a lolly bag price at the end on Saturday and Sunday at 10am, 12pm and 2pm.
Curious Legends will host two costume-making workshops at Wallsend Library from 10am to 11am and 12pm to 1pm on Saturday.
On the Halloween night, Wallsend Shopping Village will present its Dance of the Dead, a free community event with dancing, a haunted house space and shadow puppet workshops.
Also on Thursday night, Club Singleton will run a scary maze, trick or treat stop and Halloween raffle.
