MUNCIE, Ind. – For almost 60 years, the Rhum Farm has been a staple on the south side of Muncie. As a source of produce, many people within the community are familiar with the farm and its products. One of the Rhum family members, Sharon Rhum, wanted to add a twist to the Halloween season.
Sharon Rhum is one of the Co-Owners of Rhum Farm, and Halloween has been her favorite holiday, so living on a busy road with a lack of sidewalks took away the opportunity for trick-or-treaters to come to her door.
“I would decorate, I’d sit and wait for the children, and give out candy. I didn’t get any children,” said Rhum.
With a desire to make Halloween less scary for children and bring the community together, she decided to create a family-friendly haunted house suitable for all ages. Using the empty barn they had, Rhum created six themed rooms.
“I like to teach the smaller children that you can have spooky fun without being scared to death. Oka,y so that when they go into the bigger ones, then they know it’s fake, nothing to it, you know, and I love it,” said Rhum.
Adding a twist to their haunted house with new themes every year has kept the community intrigued to see what the Rhum family will do each year. They have been able to bring back generations of families. All of this wouldn’t be possible without the help of their volunteers. Skylar Beams has been volunteering for them for the past seven years. Being part of the Rhum Farm has been like a family to her, and she is deeply grateful for all their hard work.
“It’s just a community experience that not many places have, like it’s a family business kind of thing. It’s their own personal farm. They do it out of the Kindness of their heart,” said Beams.
Rhum spends almost all year with the decorations, and getting everything ready for the Halloween season is what keeps her going.
The Rhum Farm's Little Spooky event is free and open to the public every Friday and Saturday in October, from 6-9 p.m.
Contact Ava Lens with comments at ava.lens@bsu.edu.
