Orangeville brings guided ghost walks to downtown area

By Gail Powell

It's not too late to participate in Haunted Orangeville's new spirited and folklore-filled walking tours.

Long-time resident and walking tour creator Chris Fast – along with a spooky cloaked crew of characters – will continue to host guided ghost walks along the streets of downtown Orangeville this week and beyond.

The tour investigates dimly lit corners, hidden historical mysteries, and whispered legends of lore by lantern light. 

“The response has been very positive,” said Fast. “We've sold out most tours this October and received lots of positive feedback from our patrons. I was excited to learn that many participants travelled from outside of Town to Orangeville to attend our tours.”

The Haunted Orangeville Walking Tours meet on specific dates in the evenings at the north end of the Barley Vine Rail Co. restaurant parking lot at 35 Armstrong St. The tour guides then lead the group to various locations in downtown Orangeville for 60 minutes, stopping outside of specific residences and businesses behind Broadway telling tales of ghoulish events and historical happenings.

“Orangeville has an interesting and unique history. Growing up here, I've heard many stories about local folklore and ghosts,” explained Fast. “I've been on other spooky tours in other cities around the world, and I thought that Orangeville would be a great location for our own tour.”

Fast and his team have researched and collected data about Orangeville's folklore and haunted history over the last few months to prepare for the tours.

“Our staff have done some of their own research and have incorporated their own personal experiences into the ghost walk storytelling,” explains Fast. “This means that every tour's content is a little bit different. We've spent much time as a team discussing stories and deciding how to incorporate the content into our tours. We also invite individuals taking the tour to share their own stories with us too.”

Due to an “overwhelming amount” of requests, Haunted Orangeville Walking Tours is continuing to release additional dates/tickets this fall. Fast wants the public to know that the tour schedule will be expanded in 2024, running periodically through the spring and summer, plus a full schedule next fall.

“These tours are not just for Halloween,” noted Fast. “I'm planning to add additional tour options – visiting other locations within Orangeville during the year – and would love to hear from residents which stories and locations they'd like us to explore!” he said.

For more info about Haunted Orangeville Walking Tours dates and times and how to purchase tickets, visit www.hauntedorangeville.com or follow the ghostly crew on Facebook and Instagram @hauntedorangeville.