09/12/2007

Colonial Michilimackinac to Turn into “Fort Fright” on October 5 & 6

Mackinaw City, Mich. —  On October 5 and 6, Colonial Michilimackinac will be transformed into a haunted habitat where werewolves, will-o-the-wisps, and other legendary characters roam. Operating under the name “Fort Fright” for these two nights, the 18th-century fort and fur-trading village will be open from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., with admission set at $15 for families, $5 for adults, $3 for youth (6-17), and free for children 5 and under.

Visitors will enter the “Fort Fright” event through the Colonial Michilimackinac Visitor’s Center, and be guided down a path to the fort’s ‘water gate.’ Along the way, they will encounter a campfire surrounded by story-telling voyageurs who set the stage for what will be seen and heard inside the fort walls.

Many of the fort’s buildings will be open, with lanterns lighting the way from door to door. In several of the houses, costumed interpreters will prepare authentic autumn treats like molasses cookies and toffee candy for visitors to eat and enjoy. At the Commanding Officer’s House and Guardhouse, the fort’s residents and British soldiers will take turns telling ghoulish ghost stories. Outside the Solomon-Levy House, fiddle music will fill the air, where additional chilling French-Canadian folk tales will be told.  Unexplained howls and moans are expected to draw visitors close to the fort’s fire pit and a simmering kettle of hot mulled cider.

The majority of activities at the “Fort Fright” event will be suitable for the whole family, noted Steven Brisson, chief curator of Mackinac Parks and the event coordinator. “But we’ll also have a haunted house designed to appeal to older children and adults.”  This year’s haunted house has been enlivened and expanded with more elaborate characters and chills. 
Last year’s Fort Fright lured over 1,100 visitors Colonial Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City.  “The success caused some traffic jams and the refreshments were gobbled up quickly,” notes Brisson, “Expanding to two nights, adding additional features and having more goodies on hand will correct last year’s challenges and enable us to provide visitors to this event with an unforgettably enjoyable experience.”  Citizens National Bank of Cheboygan County is generously sponsoring the refreshments and treats this year. 

The characters that will be seen and talked about throughout the evening are drawn from a book called Were-Wolves and Will-o-the-Wisps: French Tales of Mackinac Retold, which was authored by Dirk Gringhuis and published by Mackinac State Historic Parks in 1974. “The book describes the best-known legends in French-Canadian folklore,” explained Brisson, “like the man who can change into a wolf, the ghostly light known as ‘will o’ the wisp,’ and the good and bad goblins called ‘lutins.’” Many of these legends spread to other countries, Brisson noted, and some are still believed in today—with a twist. “For instance, Gringuis’ book tells us that black cats—now thought of as bringing bad luck—were originally considered the best of the good lutins.”

Priced at $6 a copy, the softbound Were-Wolves and Will-o-the-Wisps will be available for purchase at the Visitor’s Center on the nights of the event.

Mackinac State Historic Parks is a family of living history museums and nature parks in northern Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac and is an agency within the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. Its sites—which are accredited by the American Association of Museums—include Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island State Park, and Historic Downtown on Mackinac Island, and Colonial Michilimackinac, Historic Mill Creek, and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City. Visitor information is available at 231-436-4100 or on the web at www.MackinacParks.com.