LEGENDS OF HORROR: at CASA LOMA: until November 2

This is quite possibly the BEST year yet! For those, like us, who have made this a tradition expect some new immersive experiences in this walk through at your pace scream-filled night. Meanders throughout the grounds of our city’s famed castle. Casa Loma has once again been transformed into a fully dark and immersive theatrical experience. This  “promenade theatre”, takes audience participants through a 2 km trail commencing in the lower gardens of Casa Loma and winding its way through the castle’s bowels, tunnels and darkest spaces. Meet some ghoulish figures (actors) and be prepared to for fantastical animatronics to jump. The fun and very scream-worthy experience will be sure to be an unforgettable one! Need to catch your breath? No worries, there’s a mid-point pavilion that is great to grab an elixir or two.  Note: there are some “family friendly” times with no actors that won’t cause nightmares. Open October 3 to November 2. Tickets and Details here.

JAYMES WHITE SÉANCE EXPERIENCE: Stanley Garrison, Exhibition Place until November 30

Back for another year is this unforgettable night of conjuring spirits in this authentic Victorian-style séance. This year, White takes willing participants into the unsettling space of the historic Stanley Garrison. Located on the Exhibition Grounds, next to Hotel X Toronto. According to White, there are five to six resident spirits that are known to roam the premises. He’s excited to see who will come forth during these evenings. He also tells us the Barracks have a much darker vibe than any location he’s ever conducted these séances at. Highly recommend packing an overnight back and plan a stay at Hotel X to make an unforgettable mini-escape to decompress. This is the ninth year White has been offering these unique and fully immersive experiences. We can tell you first hand that each one is very different. Multiple dates and times. Tickets and Details here.

HALLOWEEN HAUNT at Canada’s Wonderland: until November 2

The spooky season opens from September 27 to November 3 on select nights here. If you love a scream-filled night, you’ll love this as the theme park transforms into nights filled with unforgettable thrills and unspeakable horror. Immerse yourself in the nightmare with seven terrifying scare zones, hundreds of monsters, heart pumping night rides, live entertainment and six mazes including the new Demons of the Deep where you’ll discover horrifying creatures lurking in a deserted underwater lab. Details here.

The theme park is also still open during the daytime on weekends! Camp Spooky returns for families with little kiddies. This experience includes scare-free attractions, live shows, costume parties, and trick-or-treating. Included in general admission. Tickets are available online here.

ANGEL MORGAN 25TH ANNUAL HALLOWEEN SHOW: The Factory Theatre, October 18,

One of the most well-known psychics in the city will return to interact with audience members at this very special 25th anniversary show. At this event, Angel Morgan will once again tap into spiritual guides in front of a live (and otherwise) audience on stage. If you’re hoping to connect with loved ones, and even pets, as well as learn fascinating facts and lore from other cultures, this one can’t be missed!

BLACK LAGOON POP UP:  BAR MORDECAI (1272 Dundas St. West) October 16 to 31

The award-winning Halloween pop-up is masterminded by bar industry veterans Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage. Returning this October, this highly-anticipated event promises a spine-tingling immersive experience with a brand-new cocktail menu. Black Lagoon will haunt 35 bars across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, offering guests a wickedly delightful time. Submerging for its 4th annual year, the pop-up continues to captivate audiences with its dark, alluring atmosphere and expertly crafted cocktails that embody the eerie spirit of Halloween.

HELL BAR POP UP:  at OFFWORLD BAR (739 Queen Street West), October 1 to 31

It’s apparently better to party in Hell at this latest sip and sin hotspot! Sinners and saints are welcome to celebrate the spooky season with this unique experience. Yes, it’s as fun as it sounds. With thematic cocktails and food you’ll want to sell your soul for. Just to give you an idea…Satan’s Meatball Roulette: Six meatballs arrive at your table on a plate. Two of them are invisibly infused with housemade ghost-pepper hot sauce. Are you and your friends brave enough to face the hellish heat? (Served with an optional tall glass of milk, for the unfortunate.) The Fallen Angel: Served in a hollowed-out copy of the Holy Bible, this premium cocktail requires a secret demonic code to access its powerful contents. Not only that, there are special events happening all month long including Tarot Tuesdays: Concerned about your ultimate doom? Celebrity tarotologist Laura Hokstad, of Rue Morgue’s Terror Tarot and CBC’s Coven, is on hand every Tuesday in October to read your cards and pronounce your fate. Campfire Ghost Stories: The most terrifying open-mic in the city. On Wednesday, October 9, bring your best ghost story to share on stage at Hellbar. We’ll have prizes for the best ones. Plus horror-cocktail classes, Sinful Sundays classic horror movie film screenings, and more! See the full slate here.

ILLUMI SPOOKY HALLOWEEN NIGHT WALK:

The ghouls and witches are back! The nights come alive with over 600,000 square feet and over 20 million bright lights and all things spooktacular at this autumn and Halloween themed walk through experience. Fun for the family and filled with wonder and imagination. All twinkly lights shine as soon as the sun sets. By the way, there is a designated dog friendly date as well on October 16. Details here.

GHOST WALKS at Exhibition Place:

Exhibition Place is commonly known for its bright lights, dramatic shows and large events, but lurking below the surface are a few well-kept secrets known only to staff who work the late shift. Every Friday in October, the local community is invited to join in one of the evening walks. Two hour walks led by Steve Collie of After Dark Tours takes guests beyond closed doors and through the haunted past. Cost is $15 per person with proceeds going to United Way of Greater Toronto. Details here. 

MORE HAUNTED TORONTO LOCATIONS:

We wrote about some of the most famous haunted locations in the city that you can visit from historic theatres to the Distillery District to the eerie building on U of Toronto campus. Some will offer tours to enter as well. Here’s our list! Link here.

You can also find a Self-Guided Walking Tour of Downtown Toronto pulled together by the Toronto Ghosts & Hauntings Research Society here. Just be aware of your surroundings.

NEIGHBOURHOOD PET EVENTS:

The Bentway Pet Howl’oween Event: October 26, 12 noon to 4 pm

Get your canine costumes ready, Howl’oween is back! We’re excited to present our beloved, annual spooky-season tradition on Saturday, October 26 from noon to 4:00pm at Strachan Gate on our main site. With presenting sponsor Ren’s Pets, we invite all Toronto dogs and their owners to participate in a fun, dog-focused afternoon with a costume contest, amazing pooch prizes, music, warm drinks, and local fur-endly vendors from Toronto Dog Mom Market. Bring your best tricks and treats!  Prizes for best costumes.

Yonge & Lawrence BIA Pet Howlaween Parade and Event: October 26, 10 am to 12 noon

No need to head downtown! Join in this fun neighbourhood and family-friendly Howlaween parade and event in support of The Farley Foundation. The parade (on the sidewalk) will walk a loop along Yonge Street while stopping at various shops and businesses for treats (for dogs and humans), samples, and more. Meet and greet with Angel Morgan (Pet Communicator and Psychic), professional dog photographer Mel Lem Photography on site, goodies at Spinks Veterinary Clinic, and more! First 100 pup families will receive a YLVBIA reusable shopping tote. Contests include Tickless  Canada (at Pet Valu, they’ll also have a photos station and other giveaways!), Land & Sea Pet Treats Bundles, and that much sought after glow in the dark Ghost Golden Retriever courtesy of Home Depot. Photo stations throughout. $5 nail trims at Sobaka Grooming Salon, coupons, and kids activity sheets from Panda Mandarin School. Bring your spare coins for the coin drop donation box. 100% of the collection will go to The Farley Foundation to assist those who are struggling financially to pay for veterinary care for their pets. Pets must be on a leash at all times. Costumes optional! Details here.

Riverside Howl-a-ween Dog Party: Joel Weeks Park, October 27, 10 am to 3 pm

Join in the fun and dress your spooky season’s best! Prizes for best dog costume contest will happen at noon. Free photo booth on site, and pawsome vendors too!   Note, family-friendly events happening also at Riverside Common Park. More details here.

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Held at an 1870s built Victorian Farmhouse, White invites the public to this chilling location for his popular séances to help conjure up the spirits. For two months, he will attempt to waken the dead twice each night. Visitors have a unique opportunity to gain insight to the stories from the past and explore the home once the night falls. Creaky floors and unusual scents are included in the ticket. Paranormal activity is more than possible. “A lot of it depends on the group dynamics,” says White “each night is different, but I can promise you it will be something you have never incorporated into the experience.”

White is constantly researching reported paranormal activities in various locations and his interest in the unexplained coupled with his skills as a mentalist makes for an unforgettable night full of excitement, intrigue, and eerie experiences. While there are MANY haunted locations across the city, White tells us that often it’s the public who tips him off about the most unique spots.

“It has almost been two years since we have done an in person séance. How we find locations is we have fans email us with spots they know that are haunted and then we try to secure them. That is how we got this location and I really wanted it because of the items within the house. We find with Toronto specifically a lot of old haunted historical locations are run by the city of Toronto who for some reason don’t really rent them out or even respond to inquiries so they pretty much sit empty so we were lucky to find this one not owned by the city and honestly thought it was perfect,” said White.

The Eatonville Farmhouse and its estate is often used as a venue for special events. Sitting on the original land that was once an apple orchard, it is a self-run historical site. The Farmhouse itself was moved from its original spot still within the original property’s grid but remains intact with many of the original belongings. A wander through and  tour the house you’ll discover furniture, photos, toys, quilts and other artifacts. A porcelain doll collection and an old doll house sits in the basement of the house.

White has been performing the séances for five years at different locations but the most recent spine chilling experience was actually during this pandemic lockdown during one of his virtual sold out live séances called EVOKE. “What happened is we truly believe someone got possessed and we were dealing with it for hours after the experience. Like it was almost like they became a different person. Luckily everything turned out all right, but it was crazy to have that experience over an online experience.  Another night when a person was trying to get into a hypnosis state of mind their lights all just turned off and came back on when they were out of the trance. It makes no sense because no one else was in the house,” said White.

The Eatonville Farmhouse Séances returns to in-person experiences. White tells us he’s excited about trying to get back to some kind of normal. “I think why my seances always did well was because it allows you to escape reality for a few hours. I think people desperately need something like that. I am looking forward to just the interactions and getting to see people. I have the feeling it will be really special for many.”

While we’re still adapting to Covid health and safety protocols, the séances have been slightly modified. Ahead each the night, participants are provided with information in keeping with the latest government recommendations and each time slot allows for a smaller number of attendees — which actually is better since you get an even more intimate experience. There will always be an additional guide on hand to ensure everyone is keeping with protocol…and there to escort anyone who feels like the evening’s events are too much to handle and need to leave. It’s happened before.

Soooo, how scary is it? White always tells people to go in with an open mind. “It’s not as scary as people make it out to be…just go into it with an open and mind and try your best. If you open your mind to it I can guarantee you will have never experience anything like it before I really enjoy meeting people who have never done it before because they are always so mesmerized.”

This is true. Before entering the Farmhouse, a couple that were part of our group were both nervous and curious. The wife had purchased tickets for her husband as a birthday gift. They had the most encounters during our séance that was truly unexplainable.

If you’re lucky (or unlucky) enough to experience a paranormal activity here you’ll want to make sure you follow White’s rules. We asked him what happens if a ghost follows us home? White tells us the best thing to do is to contact him right away and he’ll make sure you’re okay. He’ll also resolve it. “We have found over the years that people who have had stuff follow them home are groups that break the circle. I would suggest not doing that during the experience,” said White.

You’ve been warned. DO NOT BREAK THE CIRCLE.

Also, for those who have attended one of his séances before…Andy is back.

We won’t give any spoilers or secrets away. But we will share what happened after our séance night. As we said our goodbyes to all group a large coyote was spotted in the field in front of the house. He ran away and we could hear the pack howling in the darkness of the night. Jumping into the ride share car we chatted about the experience. Our driver was noticeably uncomfortable but didn’t say a word until we dropped off my friend. When he continued to drive me back home he had a lot of questions, as a believer, of the paranormal he was nervous. Then, his phone suddenly shut down on its own and he was more than a little concerned. He lost his way to getting me back home but I told him it was just a coincidence. All that time during the ride I was holding onto a gemstone that is supposed to ward off unwanted spirits… just in case.

Jaymes White Eatonville Farmhouse Séances run until November 27, 2021.Tickets are $66.66 each (of course).  To find out more and if you’re brave enough to book, visit his site here.

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Mentalist Jaymes White has been hosting his very popular Halloween séance in-person experiences to sold-out crowds for the past five consecutive years. Venues have included hotspots that are known to have spirited activity from haunted houses to landmark destinations. This year’s situation isn’t going to stop the spirits and Jaymes has adapted to bring the experience online. Will it be as thrilling and chilling? I wouldn’t put it past him.

Eerie indeed but the séances are also fun in spirit. Jaymes has a way of reading the room and knows when to lighten up when things get a little too intense but let’s be clear, there are no limits to what can happen. “The fun thing about my séances is every location we go to has a different story and a different past. I think why the séance does well is because if you come on any night the séance is completely different because it depends on the groups and what they bring in. We have had some crazy stories from some of these nights that are very hard for me to explain and I am pretty skeptical. We also were able to catch a bunch of footage of unexplainable activity.” (see below)

I can confirm that this is what I had experienced last year. In the séance I had participated in Jaymes had the group sit in a circle. He summoned any spirits in our presence by asking for a sign – any sign – and twice my Apple Watch chimed on cue. It had not chimed…for days.  Jaymes himself was taken back. Not only that, all electronics and phones were requested to be completely shut down before we began.

I had asked him if he thought it was a coincidence or if he actually believed that something had happened. There were no explanations. Even though he claims he’s a skeptic he found these timely occurrences pretty cool and yes, entertaining for him as well. By the way, his experience as a mentalist, mind-reader, hypnotist — whatever you want to call him, has led him to also work with law-enforcement and universities in identifying and training on body language, deception, and memory development. You can learn more about him here.

“Evoke is going to be very unique, the advantage of this is I have always wanted to experiment with this of type séance and figured this was the perfect opportunity,” said Jaymes. “When you look at the history of spiritualism there is a direct correlation with new technology, so I wanted to give this a try. One thing I find amazing is that people from all over Canada can connect and become one at the same time. I find it to be very fascinating and different. I think that there is a huge psychological element to this by having people accomplish unique things using their instincts-it will be curious to see what people are able to pick up on.”

What will change is the number of people participating. To keep EVOKE as an intimate experience, there will only be 10 people in each séance. With that in mind, even if two people are involved, they will still cap off the numbers to the maximum. So if you are at home with someone and want to watch it together they ask that you both buy a ticket each because they only want 10 people at a time to keep it personal.

Brave and willing minds will be guided through an engaging night of the unexplained. Jaymes has adapted his techniques from years of working in psychology and hosting seances to bring this unique event to life. The seances will be hosted from a private studio to accommodate his work during the pandemic. He does ask that each person dim the lights low and make their viewing area dark and creepy, to keep in the spirit of things.

The most important thing is to go in with an open mind. “There is a concept in psychology called Mental-Imagery meaning if you can imagine a situation and really visualize it you will increase the odds of success. We will be playing with this concept while doing a séance.” He also requests that everyone brings an item that represents them because it might just dictate the direction in which the séance goes.

He tells us that he’s pretty excited to attempt EVOKE. “To accomplish a séance like event simply through zoom is definitely a challenge. I am excited to hear about everyone’s experiences and how they felt during the event. I think this will be a lot of ghostly fun for me,” says Jaymes.

Any particular nights for those who are really brave? He tells us his favorite nights are October 30 (Devil’s night) and Friday the 13th of November. “I think in the schedule those two nights are going to be the craziest. If I had to choose one, I feel like Devil’s Night will always win.”

EVOKE séances take place from October 16 to November 28, 2020. Tickets are $24.99 each. Each séance is approximately 45 minutes in duration. Check the schedule and tickets at www.jaymeswhite.com.

So, are you in?

Here’s a peek at what happened at last year’s Beverley Street Seances…

The post Jaymes White returns with the eerie EVOKE séance events appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Jaymes’ interest in the unexplained has led him to conduct extensive research into accounts of paranormal activities, and his skills as a mentalist means he can create an atmosphere of fear, excitement, and curiosity. Jaymes has been running the biggest and most successful séances to completely sold-out audiences across Canada for 3 years, this year being his 4th at the largest and most storied location of George Brown House in downtown Toronto. The initial meeting spot for this experience? A former funeral home.

Curious? Definitely.

Scared? HELL Yeah!

So many questions were running through my mind when I first heard of Jaymes so when the opportunity to interview him came up, I knew I couldn’t pass it up.

Why am I so curious but afraid to talk to you?

JW: I get that a lot. I feel a lot of people are intimidated by me but find me so fascinating at the same time. I guess there is something somewhat scary about being able to read someone’s mind. To read somebody I use science, psychology, my intense study of human nature, and my own intuition. Some of my closest friends have told me that at the beginning of our friendship, they kept questioning whether I was reading them or not. I definitely was reading them at the very beginning but honestly, once I get to know you, my ability to read you actually drops. It does not help my cause that I also teach a lot of detectives, police and people in sensitive areas interrogation techniques, how to tell if someone is lying and how to read someone. I also noticed that my séances have a particularly heavy psychological effect on people, which is really interesting to observe.

How do you shut off… or can you?

JW: When I am not training/performing I do try to shut it off, but my brain is naturally analytical and always analysing people so I try to avoid people when I need to clear my mind, LOL. If I distract my mind with something like learning a new skill, it allows me to focus on that and not over analyse everything. I also find that playing guitar has kind of been my therapy for this.

How far is too far?

JW: I think everyone has their own boundaries and their own limits. I think morally you know when it is too far. The answer for me depends on the person because everyone is different. I think you should always find ways to be grounded and enjoy life because I find a lot of people just focus on money and miss the opportunities to really enjoy life.

What freaks you out?

JW: My biggest fear growing up was to just settle. I never wanted to settle. I was definitely a weird kid that didn’t really fit in so I spent a lot of my younger years observing people. I wanted to always be able to follow my dreams and do things on my own terms (I am not the best with authority lol). I got pretty lucky where I can say I am a professional mindreader. It is such a weird but unique job. It is funny because when people ask me “what do you do for a living” I sometimes respond with “I do séances”, and it is like they do not believe me at all but then they look me up and go “wow”. So my goal in life is to never settle and to keep pushing forward and following my dreams; doing anything less, freaks me out.

Is there different energy with the smaller and more intimate group vs a larger scale audience?

JW: What is funny is my main audience is around 500 people; I grew up performing the big stage shows. However, when I created my séance, I decided that I wanted a more intimate group to explore the paranormal with. So we have a maximum of 18 people per séance experience to ensure that everyone gets as much attention as possible. I found that it is a different kind of energy – working with smaller groups. Like the big experiences in the theatres it is just like everyone becoming as one; participating in unison. For the séance/small scale audience it is almost like we are telling their story and I get to meet and learn about everyone; I think that is what makes it special. It feels like we are accomplishing a goal (a good and scary one) together. And I suspect that people remember it for a long time because some of the stuff that has happened at my séances is so unbelievable. The séance is different each night because it depends on the audience and which way they want to go.

Would you consider mindreading a gift or a skill set?

JW: I have gotten told almost daily that I have this gift and I am lucky that I have it. Honestly, I believe anyone can master it. It is more of a skill set; it just takes a lot of time to master. It is definitely a passion of mine. I started doing this when I was 6 years old and have probably been doing it around 8 hours a day for over 25 years now. So I do tell people yes you can have this “gift” if you like, but you would need to dedicate your whole life to it.

Do you play any brain games apps or others? If so, what?

JW: I see a lot of apps and random bracelet things saying they will improve your brain power or memory but I find most of it is honestly just the placebo effect. For the record the placebo effect really does work but that’s not what I rely on, and I don’t use apps to keep my mind fresh. I actually can give someone a better than photographic memory in around 3 months with 10 minutes a day of work. Most people believe you are born with a good memory but that is a lie – you can actually get a trained memory pretty easily and I teach about this at different universities. The cool thing about the memory technique is it helps prevent a lot of brain diseases since your brain is like a muscle so it keeps it active.

How do you mentally prepare yourself before a séance?

JW: I am actually very skeptical about the paranormal but I want to keep an open mind. So before my séances, I try to meditate on being open-minded. I cannot think about it too much because there are so many different things that can happen in a séance. I kind of guide the audience but let them decide what to do and what to investigate. I have this whole weird almost like ritual thing I do before every séance and have been doing it for 4 years since the séances started. I have to stick diligently to that routine because it is a way of grounding me mentally before any séance experience.

What is one thing you wish people knew about you?

JW: I have an obsession with wolves and cats and spend most of my time with them. Also, I once got kissed by a HYENA. Truly, that was the highlight of my life!

Jaymes White’s “Beverley Street Séance” runs September 13 to November 30, 2019 in Toronto. Tickets start at $66.66, of course.  For more information and to reserve your spot, visit www.jaymeswhite.com

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