DANIEL BELL-NGUYEN | Reporter

MERLINA SAN NICOLAS | Sports Editor

Lindenwood University is bringing back the Dark Carnival event this Wednesday, and it’s expected to attract 7,500 people.

The Lindenwood-hosted event is returning for its ninth year. It will be held from 6-10 p.m. on the historic side of campus.  

Attendees can expect to see over 75 booths ranging from carnival games, raffles, food, and vendor giveaways. The Dark Carnival will also have two four-story haunted houses in Cobbs and Irwin Halls, circus performers and an iHeartRadio DJ.  

The Dark Carnival is free and  is marketed to all interests and all ages as a family-friendly event. Therefore, many people other than Lindenwood students and faculty attend.

Lindenwood’s assistant director of Residential Life, John Vanderpool, said he credits the event’s success to the broad range of promotions for it.  

“We achieve this [success] by social media promotions, a billboard on I-70, iHeartRadio promotions and word of mouth,” Vanderpool said. “This event has been very successful and a fun family event for 9 years.”

In previous years, to get into a haunted house, visitors needed to sign a participation waiver and get a wristband before going in. This year, Residential Life provided the waivers at the entrance of residence halls. Once a student has a waiver form signed, students can either bring it to the Dark Carnival entrance or get the wristband at the front desk of their residence hall between 12 to 5 p.m. the day of the event.

The School of Humanities and the master’s in fine arts program also will be hosting the “Flash Forms Festival” as part of the Dark Carnival event at the McCluer Hall lounge. This will include a series of ghost stories being told to add to the festivities.  

Before Dark Carnival, Lindenwood’s Campus Activities Board will hold a Pumpkin Painting pre-game from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Spellmann Center Clocktower.

Dark Carnival is supported by sponsorships and donations from local businesses, according to the event website. 

This year’s event is sponsored by Potbelly, Alliance Credit Union, Sunbelt rentals, Pedestal Foods and KSLZ.