COOL STUFF
Imagination thrives at Holiday Hollow
By Kevin Fryling

The Holiday Hollow pirate show.
Photos courtesy of Holiday Hollow.
Each year, as the air begins to chill and trees shed their bright foliage, drivers navigating the twists and turns of Route 5 in Pembroke are likely to catch an unexpected sight peeking out among the branches alongside the road.

Nestled in the woods about two miles from Thruway Exit 48A is Holiday Hollow, a unique destination for families in search of fall fun, which resembles nothing so much as a small-scale European village, complete with clock tower, gypsy wagon, and a rustic countryside gift shop. What began nearly twenty years ago as a place where visitors could buy a pumpkin, enjoy some cider, and catch a charmingly hand-crafted puppet show has grown into a monument to the imagination of its creators—a destination for children and parents featuring funny, not scary, haunted walks, costumed characters, outdoor theatrics, and other unique interactive entertainments. Not to mention additional seasonal fare for people of all ages, including summertime tea tastings, a wedding reception hall, and a new Christmas show which will premiere this December.

“We’ve been growing gradually, but steadily, for many years,” says George Walker, a retired administrator at Genesee Community College, who with his wife, Barbara, and four children, Kelley, George IV, Josh, and Zach, founded Holiday Hollow in 1991 after closing a small family-owned summer camp they operated in northern Ontario. “I feel like we’ve got a difficult story to tell because there’s nothing else quite like us. We’re sort of a miniature version of a Renaissance fair … with a Halloween and pirate theme.”

Built from scratch over nearly two decades, Holiday Hollow is completely designed and constructed by the Walker family, including Barbara, their “master builder,” who says she inherited a talent for construction from her father, an engineer. Some buildings are little more than “set pieces” or “props,” plywood constructs designed for no other purpose than to contribute to the destination’s Old World charm, while others are fully functional structures with indoor plumbing and electricity. The buildings, as well as their whimsical names, include the clock tower; “Cricket Cottage,” the gift shop; “Admiral Portly’s Galley,” a refreshment stand; “Sir Timothy’s Theatre,” in which the original “Talking Pumpkin Show” is still performed; “The Haunted Parlor,” in which ghostly apparitions seem to materialize from thin air; and “Scotland Yard,” the entrance to a popular forest walking event, during which participants are drawn into an engaging mystery led by two comically mismatched detectives. The adventure concludes at the “Shaking Shack,” an “exploding structure” designed by the family’s youngest son, Zach.

Also lending his expertise to the project is the Walkers’ eldest son, George IV, a graduate of the cinema and television production program at the University of Southern California, who is a professional theme park designer. Several years ago, George’s contributions to his family’s project landed Holiday Hollow a spot on Look What I Did, a program for dedicated Do-It-Yourselfers on Home & Garden Television.

His greatest creation may be the massive set for the “Captain Hook and Mr. Smee Show,” a 50-foot replica of a shipwrecked pirate vessel, including “Skull Rock,” an enormous skull-shaped faux-stone outcropping built from cement over flexible wire mesh. The show, which features plenty of comedy, derring-do, and an action-packed sword-fighting sequence, is one of two “pirate shows” performed at Holiday Hollow. “We have the gypsy séance show, another pirate-themed ‘Dead Man’s Chest’ show, ‘The Hunt for Jekyll and Hyde,’ …” says Walker, ticking off a list of seven performances, all of which are included with the price of admission.

Actors include freshly minted theater students from several nearby colleges, including the University of Buffalo, Buffalo State, SUNY Fredonia, and Genesee Community College. Many, including Zach, who plays the evil Captain Hook, and Josh Lipnicky, who plays the notorious Captain Bluebeard, boast additional experience as part-time employees, or “cast members,” at Disney World.

“Working at Disney, I’ve seen how they make ‘magic’ in almost every way,” says Lipnicky, twenty-five, who first encountered Holiday Hollow as a visitor at age eight. “This inspires me to make some of my own 'magic,’ creating new shows, attractions, and special effects.”

Experienced regional actors such as Carl Schoonover fill out the ranks. A member of the Batavia Players, a local theater group, Schoonover has also appeared in productions in Buffalo, including a play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Howard Sackler at Studio Arena in the late ’70s.

This year, Schoonover will return to play Santa Claus during the inaugural performance of a newly written “Christmas Enchantment” play, featuring an indoor stage production, a traditional Christmas pageant, and a chance to meet Santa in his workshop. In addition, a special “Christmas Memories” show for seniors, in which the cast of an old-time radio show is snowed in for the holiday, will be presented in December.

Although Holiday Hollow grows each year, Walker says almost everything they earn gets reinvested into developing new buildings, new performances, and new ideas.

“What really motivates us is that we love to perform; we love to make people happy,” he says. “When we had four kids, it was tough to take them places. We want families to be able to afford to come. … At the end of the day, that’s what’s the most rewarding for us.”

Holiday Hollow, located at 1410 Main Road (Route 5) in Pembroke, will celebrate Halloween from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekend in October, as well as Columbus Day, except Sunday, October 31. For more information, visit www.holidayhollow.com.

Kevin Fryling is a freelance writer and native of Batavia. He is a graduate of Geneseo State College and the University at Buffalo.


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