Field of Screams takes over Spitz Stadium

By Lethbridge Herald on October 20, 2023.

Herald Photo by Justin Seward Spooky skeleton dog and humans are among the attractions at Field of Screams.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The second annual Field of Screams Halloween event officially kicked off at Spitz Stadium on Friday.

The event is in collaboration with Under the Lights Sports and Entertainment  and its partners of Prairie Baseball Academy, the Lethbridge Longhorns baseball academy and the Lethbridge Bulls. 

The entertainment is a longer spookier tour from last year that takes you through the visitors clubhouse of spooky attractions, down the baseline graveyard of scary haunted objects before hitting the added concession of “Your Final Resting Space.”

“So what else can we do at the stadium to extend the season and that, and Dave (Ankermann), who hopefully you’ll meet, was an inspiration,” said Kevin Kvame, Under the Lights Sports president.

“He loves Halloween and graveyards and he’s one of those enthusiasts who goes around and we took him down to a Little League summit in New Orleans and his wife was in the conference. He was going around to graveyards and historic places like that and he was a perfect fit for doing this, and plus he’s a draftsmen by nature and building and stuff like that. So he just eats this stuff up.” 

Kvame said they keep adding stuff to it and it just grew from there.

“We have plans that each year is going to be bigger and better and more entertaining for the public and excited to see their reaction this year,” said Kvame.

“I just love scary stuff,” said Ankermann.

“I don’t have anything that I specifically follow, anybody that I particularly look up to as far as haunted people. But I’ve always loved it. Halloween is my favourite season.”

Ankermann heard a lot of screams last year.

“And I loved every second of it,” he said.

“There was one child I did make cry and I felt bad for that.”

Ankermann says the more screams the better.

There will be approximately 10-15 ball players being used per night.

The event supports the Prairie Baseball Academy scholarship fund and the Interfaith Food Bank of Lethbridge.

“Last year we were able to do a $2,500 matching scholarship,” said Kvame.

“So the Field of Screams put in $2,500 and that was matched. So $5,000 went to athletes for scholarships last year. We are hoping to at least triple that this year, maybe quadruple it, and that really helps the students that come to Prairie Baseball Academy be able to achieve their academic and their athletic goals.”

Partial Proceeds of the 50/50 raffle will go to the Interfaith Food Bank while food donations will be accepted at the gate and allow for ticket discounts in the community.

“Well the Interfaith Food Bank has been involved with the Bulls for (a) long time with different food bank drives and that,” said Kvame.

“And this just is something that we thought that they would be a good partner. They reached out to us as well and we’re excited to include them in this.”

Field of Screams happens nightly from Oct. 20-31 on weekdays from 6:30- 9:30 p.m. and extended to 11 p.m. Friday-Sunday. 

Last year’s event attracted 700 people over the two weeks and has pre-sold that many before Friday’s grand opening.

Tickets can be purchased at tickets.bullsbaseball.com, by calling (403) 320-2025 or emailing customer.service@underthelights.ca.