Making More Money from Your Land: Fall Festivals and Haunted Attractions

by Mark Bingaman Boo! Now that we have your attention, we at LandHub.com thought we'd offer an observation: The fall season provides some unique business opportunities for landowners. The idea certainly isn't for everyone, but if you have plenty of available land, the spirit of an entrepreneur, a love of the fall and/or Halloween season, and a desire to make some pretty decent money from property that otherwise may be sitting bare, then perhaps you are a good candidate to design and run your own fall festival, hayride, corn maze, pumpkin picking, or even a haunted Halloween house. If you own land - preferably in a rural locale – there is undoubtedly money sitting there waiting for you to claim it, especially at a time of the year when many farmers, ranchers, and owners of recreational properties see their land begin to morph into hibernation. Of course, it may be too late this year for development of such a business on your land, but this fall season offers an opportunity to check out similar attractions in your area and determine what model, or theme, may work best for your property and goals.

Halloween Attraction or Fall Festival?

There is a distinct difference between a Halloween Attraction and a Haunted House. Halloween Attractions include everything from a corn maze to a pumpkin patch to a haunted hayride, while also perhaps introducing other attractions like pony rides, petting zoos, face painting,  a variety of games, concession stands, and other fun attractions. However, many property owners may wish to brand their event as a fall festival or “family-friendly fall festival” and stay completely aware from the frightening blood and gore associated with Halloween activities. Essentially, the scope of your attraction is entirely up to you. It can be as big or small as you wish and feature whatever tone, theme, or elements that you wish.

How to Get Started?

If you're focused on the “haunted” side of things and plan for the attraction on your land to take on that “scarier vibe,” then you're definitely in luck. Resources are plentiful for haunted attraction operators, with plenty of vendors, trade shows, business plans, and even consultants available to help walk you through issues ranging from construction to zoning to advertising to insurance and all liability concerns. But be advised: The industry seems to be quite focused on “haunted” and scary attractions, making assistance and guidance more difficult to come by for those who wish to focus their event on family-friendly fall activities only.

Treat it Like a Business

The most important thing to remember is that this is indeed a business venture. It will take months to plan and address all of the same issues that you'd address in the launch of any business, including permits from local officials, the design of the layout of your attraction, recruitment of a staff of employees, etc. At the bottom of this article we've listed a website that may be of assistance in the launch of your idea, including the development of a business plan, trade shows, vendors, and plenty of ideas. Opportunities of this nature may boost your income and help make it possible for you to purchase land for sale that perhaps you otherwise may not be able to afford. The land is sitting there in the fall so why not utilize it? Resources: HauntWorld: Creating a Business Plan for Operating a Haunted Attraction Save Save