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The Sacramento Bee
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A ghoulish afterlife for America Live
By Pam Slater, Bee Staff Writer
America Live is dead and loving it.
The new vacant site of the massive nightclub and
entertainment venue in the Downtown Plaza will be enjoying
a brief afterlife during the upcoming Halloween season.
Where once sports figures played on giant screens, figures
of a more ghoulish appearance soon will walk the darkened
and shadowy dance floor.
The Global Youth Resource Organization (GYRO), a California
non-profit organization that raises funds for adolescent
drug and alcohol abuse prevention, intervention and
treatment services, has leased the 65,000-square-foot space
to set up its World of Terror haunted house.
The blood-thirsty venture was welcomed with open claws by
Downtown Plaza officials.
It will probably bring 50,000 to 75,000 more people to
Downtown Plaza, which obviously mean more traffic in sales
and exposure to all our merchants," said James Harris,
manager of the mall, "and more entertainment for downtown
during that period and for Sacramentans."
The terms of the short-term arrangement were not revealed
but "every little bit helps," said Harris in reference to
the $1.6 million that America Live owed in back rent and
other fees when it closed so suddenly on July 19 that
luncheon dishes were left unwashed.
Negotiations to recover the money are continuing, Harris said.
At more than 60,000 square feet, America Live was the
third-largest tenant at the plaza behind Macy’s and the
United Artists theaters - and was viewed as a key attraction
in city efforts to bring shoppers downtown after dark.
And downtown after dark is what Dan Nelson, GYRO executive
director, loves best.
"We have been looking for a more central location. This
just seemed like a perfect fit - utilizing a multilevel,
super-large nightclub restaurant to put on one of the
largest haunted houses in the country," he said.
The eight-year old organization based in Santa Clara had
been using facilities at the Rancho Arroyo Sports complex
off Jackson Highway for the past two years.
But a downtown location could increase the number of patrons
by at least 50 percent, Nelson said.
"The purpose of the event is multifaceted. We produce the
event to raise funds for local charities, to get the
community involved with a fun activity, and we produce it
to assist the city and local merchants with bringing business
to downtown and help support the downtown area," Nelson said.
GYRO, which this year expanded its mission to include
programs for kids, has donated more than $200,000 to
California charities.
The haunted house - also held in the Bay Area and in Los
Angeles - is the organization’s largest event and relies on
volunteers in a number of areas, including acting, costumes,
electrical, make-up and marketing.
The event runs from Oct. 17 through Nov. 2. Tickets, which
can be purchases through Bass Ticket outlets, are $8 Sunday
through Thursday and $10 Friday and Saturday.
The World of Terror is not recommended for younger children.
"It’s going to be twice as big as last
year and three times as scary," Nelson said.
Newsweek - Periscope
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By Peri Picks
Let Us Haunt You
If the kids are whining about not getting a Power Ranger
costume or an O.J. mask, take heart. The year’s biggest
Halloween thrills are haunted houses: high-tech, interactive
and with gore galore. A Peri tour of the scariest haunts
from ghost to ghost:
San Jose, CA: The chainsaw theme writ large under a
50,000-square-foot haunted tent. Don’t try to save the
screaming woman chained to the bead, or Leatherface will
send you running into the arms of a trio of Freddy Kreugers.
MGM: Oz ‘n’ Ends
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Scream Park IV draws record crowds
The weekend opener for the fourth annual Scream Park event
drew record crowds, according to Debi Fetzner, Assistant
Vice President of Grand Adventures. More than 10,000 guests
were treated to an evening of exciting and bone chilling
entertainment. "We’re pleased by the number of guests who
turned out for the first weekend of Scream Park IV," Fetzner
said.
The most popular attraction this year, according to a straw
poll of guests, goes to the Thriller Show. Back by popular
demand, this entertaining show features the walking dead
jamming to Michael Jackson’s hit song.
Scream Park’s newest attraction, the 3-D walk through maze,
was noted as the second most popular attraction. "The special
effects are so realistic, that this show is guaranteed to
scare even the bravest of all," Fetzner added.
With record breaking attendance comes long lines. Fetzner
encourages Cast Members to stop by One-Stop ahead of time to
purchase or exchange the Grand Adventures vouchers for Scream
Park tickets. The $17.50 price of admission includes the
Scream Park event and unlimited ride and show access
(SkySceamer is extra).
Grand Class service begins with you, the Cast Member,
"There is no better way to promote this event to our
guests than to personally experience this grand class
Halloween extravaganza," Fetzner said.
Due to construction, through Tuesday, Nov. 4, access to
the theme park through the Rainbow Bridge will be prohibited.
Guests should be rerouted though the Grand Garden where
there is elevator access, Fetzner added.
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