Plainfield Hauntings: Visit the Creatures of Creepside and Help Local Charities

You can get your fill of spooks and scares and help out a good cause this Halloween — if you’re brave enough to pay a visit to the hauntings at “Creepside.”

For the fifth year, Plainfield resident Salvatore Perry is hosting “Creepside Hauntings” at his home at 15416 S. Creekside Dr.

With help from neighborhood teens Anthony Fremarek, Alex Marco and Jay Gerber, Perry has created a nightmarish scene of ghosts and ghouls, and the community is invited to stop by and enjoy it — with just one catch.

Those who wish to enter “Creepside Hauntings” are asked to bring nonperishable food donations to benefit the Plainfield Interfaith Food Pantry; guests can also help out some four-legged friends by donating pet food for Help Save Pets.

Perry said he first created the intricate haunted graveyard for his daughter, who is set to graduate this year from Plainfield North High School.

The inflatable decorations of the haunted house’s early years have given way to hand-crafted (not to mention terrifying) elements.

“We built it all,” Perry said, adding he gets his ideas from other haunted houses and Halloween shows — then gets help from the team he’s dubbed his “technical advisers” to build the elements to bring the scary scenes to life. The scares are enhanced with moving scenery, atmospheric lighting, fog and a bone-chilling soundtrack.

The dedicated teens, all students at Plainfield North, come out every weekend to help perfect the scene, Marco said.

 “It’s been getting bigger and better every year,” according to Perry, adding that his son Angelo — just 4 years old — has also been part of this year’s effort, helping to determine the layout of the spooky scenery.

Creepside Hauntings is open every day through Halloween; guests are invited to stop by and check it out from dusk to 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursdays and dusk to 10 p.m. Sundays.

“On the weekends, we should have some live zombies walking around,” Perry warned.

• WHERE: 15416 S. Creekside Dr.
• WHEN: Dusk to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; dusk to 10 p.m. on weekends
• WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Admission cost is a food donation to the Plainfield Interfaith Food Pantry or Help Save Pets