'Haunted Grove' To Return To Redlands Three Nights This Year

Meeting increased demand for tickets to their highly successful Halloween fundraising event, the Redlands Shakespeare Festival has announced that their annual Haunted Grove Experience will be offered for three consecutive nights this year. 

Shakespeare’s villains and monsters come to life alongside traditional Halloween haunts Oct. 25 through Oct. 27 at the estate home of Dr. Paul Ryan, 11738 Overcrest Ave., Redlands.

“We are thrilled to be returning to the Ryan estate. The groves and gardens there really lend themselves perfectly to the eerie quality we create for this event, and Dr. Ryan is a magnificent host,” said Steven Sabel, founding artistic director of the Redlands Shakespeare Festival.

The event features 90-minute guided tours through the groves and gardens of the estate, where guests meet with haunting scenes featuring Shakespearean characters and spooky vignettes. Guests also stop at four gourmet food and wine stations along the way for appetizers, entrée, and dessert served with wine and other beverages.

“This event has become such a success year after year with sell-out crowds, that we just had to offer a third night of tours in order to meet the demand for tickets. Some of our regular patrons reserve entire tour times for large groups of friends every year. Some tour times are already sold out,” said Sabel.

This year’s Haunted Grove Experience will feature some of the most popular elements from previous years combined with some new haunts and scares. Along the 90-minute guided tour, guests will view their favorite scenes from “Macbeth,” “Titus Andronicus,” “The Tempest,” and others. Classic Halloween haunts will include a classic vampire’s lair, evil mad scientist, and various ghosts and goblins.

“We conducted a survey of our patrons last year to make sure we bring back everyone’s favorite scenes and horrific features. It is so much fun watching people go through the tour, and hearing their comments about the experience,” Sabel said.

Tickets for the Haunted Grove Experience are $55 per person, or $99 per couple. Guided tours are limited to no more than 20 people per time slot. There are 13 total tour times available. Tickets are available by pre-sale reservation only.

“People look forward to this event every year. We start getting requests for tickets in August. It’s a great way for adults to celebrate the Halloween season, while also contributing to our annual season,” said Sabel.

Proceeds from the Haunted Grove Experience benefit the annual Redlands Shakespeare Festival, presented the last three weekends of May each year at the Redlands Bowl. This coming season marks the tenth anniversary of the festival.

Additional information: (909) 335-7377 or visit www.redlandsshakespearefestival.com.