This fall, Glenlore Trails returns with CarnEvil 2, an original interactive night walk opening September 18th in Commerce Township, Michigan. Running through November 1st, the experience invites guests to explore an illuminated, carnival-inspired world filled with luminous lights, interactive games and so much more.
Behind CarnEvil 2 is a fully custom creative process led by Bluewater’s in-house team. From the logos and characters to the voices, music, games and visual effects, nearly every element guests encounter was created specifically for the experience.
An Experience Created from the Ground Up
As the company behind Glenlore Trails, Bluewater brings together creative design, content production, software development, scenic elements and experiential technology to develop each seasonal experience from the ground up.
For CarnEvil 2, the creative process began long before anything was installed in the woods. Bluewater’s team developed the theme, original characters, visual identity, animations, dialogue and other content that give the experience its distinct personality. Even the CarnEvil 2 trail map was hand-drawn by Bluewater’s Brad Kaminski, extending the look and story of the experience beyond the trail itself.
The experience also features an original soundtrack. Glenlore Trails Creative Director Eric Minni performs character voices and creates original songs that help shape each scene and guide guests through the story. Music from past experiences can be heard on the official Glenlore Trails Spotify channel.
Technology That Makes the Forest Feel Alive
Throughout the approximately one-mile trail, technology is carefully integrated into the natural environment to create moments that feel surprising, playful and immersive. But bringing a technically complex experience to life across acres of Michigan woods comes with a unique set of challenges.
We asked Erik Smith, Production Manager at Glenlore Trails, what goes into installing an interactive experience of this scale:
“The real challenge is building a technically complex interactive show across acres of woods. We’re talking miles of power and network, extremely long cable runs, projection, lighting, audio and interactive systems that all have to communicate reliably after hundreds of crew hours in heat, rain, mud and whatever else Michigan decides to provide. Then you add woodland creatures that apparently consider network cable a snack. The technology has to survive all of that, work every night, and somehow still feel like magic instead of a small data center we dragged through the forest.”
Once everything is up and running, that complexity fades into the background and the forest becomes part of the experience. Projection brings oversized pumpkins and talking trees to life, while synchronized light shows move through the woods in time with custom music. AI-powered Magic Mirrors transform guests into creepy characters, making them part of the spooky surroundings.
Bluewater’s in-house team also designs and develops original interactive games that bring an element of friendly competition to the trail. Rather than simply walking through and watching the experience unfold, guests can play, explore and directly interact with elements along the way.
Interactive Wands will also return this season, giving guests another way to activate effects and uncover hidden moments throughout the trail. Even better, wands purchased during previous seasons will continue to work.
A More Cohesive CarnEvil
CarnEvil 2 builds on a previous season’s theme with expanded environments and new activations.
We asked Eric Minni, Creative Director at Glenlore Trails, what he was most excited for guests to experience at CarnEvil 2.
“I think it’s two things,” said Minni. “At a high level, CarnEvil 2 is a more cohesive and fully fleshed-out version of my favorite theme. If we’re talking specific activations, I’m excited for guests to play some ‘boosketball!’”
From the hand-drawn artwork and original characters to the custom music, interactive software and technology installed throughout the woods, every element works together to create an experience that could only be found at Glenlore Trails.
Experience CarnEvil 2
CarnEvil 2 will be open Thursdays through Sundays from September 18th through November 1st at Glenlore Trails in Commerce Township, Michigan. The season will also feature special events, including the popular 21+ Adult Night, trick-or-treating and more.
Guests can enjoy concessions, merchandise, light-up items and a rotating lineup of food trucks throughout the season. Visit the food truck schedule to see which vendors will be on-site each night.
Tickets are available now at glenloretrails.com.
