JOSHUA LAKEY | STAFF WRITER
The 22nd annual haunted “Ghost Walk” kicked off in gruesome, ghastly and wicked fashion in the downtown Mission Inn and Main Street area of
Riverside this past Saturday and Sunday Oct. 25 through the 26.
Hosted by the California Riverside Ballet Studio, this year’s Ghost Walk carried on with traditionally fun filled spooky themed attractions that children
in costumes and their parents enjoyed.
There was theatrical storytelling, live shows and a children’s carnival, which took place from 6 p.m. to no later than 11 p.m.
The five tours took place in five of Downtown Riverside’s most historic sites in which four plays were performed per tour.
Each guest was given a colored wristband after an admission price of $15 per tour, and each tour had a different color.
Parents had the choice of which tour, not only fit their amusement, but was also most suitable for their children depending on rating.
The tour “Spellbound” was performed by Ramona High School and R.F. Austin Jr. and had a G rating.
It took place at Tildon Coil, Metropolitan Museum, Riverside Public Library, and Back Alley, between the museum and the church.
The also G-rated tour “Skull Walk,” which was a previous hit, was performed by Arlington High School along with community performers and went on from Aura Vista, the Life Arts Building, D Dogs and First Congregational Church on University Avenue.
The tours “Black Dreams” and “Black Shadows” were the most popular as far as tickets sales go each was rated PG 13.
J.W. North High School performed “Black Shadows” from Riverside Police Department Orange Station to the Riverside Courthouse, down to the Old City Morgue and finally the Lake Alice Basement.
Meanwhile Martin Luther King High performed “Black Dreams” from the Loring Building to the Mission Inn Annex, down to the Reveille Yoga Studio finishing off at the Center of the Arts & Philanthropy building.
The last and final PG 13 rated tour of the evening was “Blood Springs Road” performed by Riverside Poly High, along with community performers.
It started at the Riverside Art Museum where it took two stops, to the Downtown Fire Station and finally the Municipal Auditorium alley.
“The Performances were very kid friendly and not too inappropriate,” said a local downtown Riverside native, who attended the “Ghost Walk” for the first time with his two nieces dressed as Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Cat and the Hat. “I will definitely be back next year.”
Another Riverside native who attended the Ghost Walk with his significant other, credited the Thriller reenactment dance number as “the highlight of the whole night.”
