It’s another year in the books, and another year has snuck upon us.

The annual Cox Hill Fall Festival and Haunted Trail is well under way. We are excited about what the new year has brought to our imaginations, and we have come up with some pretty cool hair-brained ideas. We have been working non-stop to get things ready for our annual haunt, and let me tell you — it’s been a lot of hard work. But in the end, it’s all worth it.

For those who have never been to the Cox Hill Haunted Trail, well, you have been missing out.

The haunted trial is about a 15-minute hayride through the woods, where we have scenes of all kinds. Some with people and some without people. We have all the original cult classics like Jason, Freddy, Texas Chainsaw’s Leatherface and Michael Myers, as well as vampires, graveyards and of course, The Walking Dead.

And there’s even a tunnel to go through. And just when you think its over, you get one last scare.

This year the festival will be Friday and Saturday and Oct. 30 and 31.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 8 years old.

There will be plenty of games for the kids to enjoy. Also concessions and entertainment by DJ Nate-Dog while you wait for the trail ride.

We have been doing this festival for a long time, and most of you should know we always do this as a benefit.

All proceeds from this festival will go to two local brave women who are battling cancer. Cancer is such an ugly disease, and so many people are affected by it every day. I want to tell you about these two amazing ladies. The first one is Janet Byrnes. She was diagnosed with stage three Adenocarcinoma of the lung in April 2014. Since being diagnosed, she has had the entire lung and several lymphnodes removed, and has undergone three rounds of chemotherapy. She is currently in Houston receiving radiation. She and her husband “Bud” and their family are members of Christ Life Church in Natchez. Janet has remained strong through all this, and says that God is with her and will be with her through it all.

The second lady is Vicki Byrnes of Vidalia. She was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in August 2014. The cancer since then has spread to the liver, and she has been doing her chemotherapy in Baton Rouge two days a week, every other week. She is currently the city clerk for the City of Vidalia, and has also remained strong in her faith.

If you were wondering, no, these ladies are not sisters, but they are related. They are married to cousins making them cousin in laws.

We at Cox Hill want these ladies to know they do not have to fight this alone. We are hoping to help them through this and give them a strong support system through the fellowship of this festival. So, come on out to Cox Hill and give the support these ladies need and deserve. And if you like a good scare every once in a while, this will be the place to be. If you would like more information or don’t do scary and you would like to make a donation, please call Jody at 601-431-3163 or Cathy at 601-431-3377.

 

Crystal Warren is a volunteer with Cox Hill Fall Festival and Haunted Trail.