Halloween Cruise on Provo River becomes family tradition
Pirate captain Adam West leads a Halloween Cruise on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Pirate captain Adam West pulls the boat along by a rope during a Halloween Cruise on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016, at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
From left, Evan Melby and his sons Aiden, 2, and Landon, 1, sit beside their mother, Ursula Melby, during a Halloween Cruise on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016, at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Families listen to Adam West, the pirate captain, speak as the boat drifts down the river during a Halloween Cruise on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
McKay Brown, 5, heads toward the boat with his mother, Caisa Brown, before a Halloween Cruise on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Ethan Avery, 2, hides behind a Halloween blow-up of Mickey Mouse before a Halloween Cruise on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Ethan Avery, 2, and Ella Broadbent, 1, explore around the ticket booth before a Halloween Cruise on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016 at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Families collect life jackets to wear on the cruise before a Halloween Cruise on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016 at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Families make their way to the boat for a Halloween Cruise on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016 at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Crew Brown, 2, looks out as a pirate attempts to swing out onto the ship during a Halloween Cruise on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016 at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Sean Snow, dressed as a pirate, looks to fist-bump a kid on the boat as he circles it in a canoe telling jokes and handing out candy during a Halloween Cruise on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016 at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Families listen to the pirate captain speak as the boat drifts down the river during a Halloween Cruise on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016 at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Children and their parents prepare to get off the boat during a Halloween Cruise on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016 at CLAS Ropes Course in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Adam West, dressed as a pirate, leads a Halloween Cruise on the Provo River put on by the CLAS ropes course in Provo on Monday, Oct. 12, 2009.
Pumpkins line the Provo River for the viewing pleasure of those on board the Halloween Cruise Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Over 100 well-carved pumpkins are lit on the banks with their reflections shimmering in the water. Departing from the CLAS Ropes Course, passengers are entertained with songs and scary stories from the pirate crew, and experience an attack from a candy-giving pirate.
Pumpkins line the Provo River for the viewing pleasure of those on board the Halloween Cruise Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Over 100 well-carved pumpkins are lit on the banks with their reflections shimmering in the water. Departing from the CLAS Ropes Course, passengers are entertained with songs and scary stories from the pirate crew, and experience an attack from a candy-giving pirate.
A pirate swings onto a Halloween Cruise boat at CLAS Ropes Course.
A pirate captain leads a group on CLAS Ropes Course's Halloween Cruise.
Pirate captains lead a group on CLAS Ropes Course's Halloween Cruise.
A scene from CLAS Ropes Course's Halloween Cruise.
When Benjamin and Melanie Allen bought the land that has now been home to the CLAS Ropes Course in Provo for 25 years, they wondered what they could do to keep the staff busy during the slower months of fall and winter.
Some youth they knew suggested running a spook alley in the trees.
“We’d drop spaghetti on people and start up chain saws and all that kind of stuff,” Benjamin Allen said.
But after three years of the spook alley, Melanie Allen suggested doing something a little more uplifting.
“I’m not really into all the gory stuff, the scary stuff, and so I just wanted something that the families could come and enjoy,” Melanie Allen said.
The Allens started a Christmas Cruise on the Provo River and later added a similar Halloween Cruise, which is now in its 18th year and hosts about 7,000 people annually.
“Some families, this is what they bring their kids to on an annual basis because they say that everything else is too gross and gory,” Benjamin Allen said. “This is more like something that the whole family can enjoy. I liken it to the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. It’s just a fun ride on the river, very unique. How many boat rides do people take in Utah?”
Each 20-25 minute Halloween Cruise features lights, a scary story told by the ship’s captain and a visit from a pirate.
“That’s the most fun part about the cruise I think is the interaction between the captain and the pirate,” Benjamin Allen said. “Then the pirate attacks the ship and tells a few jokes and ends up handing out candy to everybody, so it’s a lot of fun for all ages to come and do this Halloween Cruise.”
Several hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns line the riverside that must be replaced every week to 10 days when they go bad. The CLAS Ropes Course staff, and occasionally youth or religious groups, carve the pumpkins for the Halloween Cruise.
“We go through hundreds of pumpkins every year,” Benjamin Allen said. “The farmers really like us.”
Guests are also invited to watch a locally produced Halloween cartoon before or after the cruise.
“Kids love it,” Benjamin Allen said of the film.
Melanie Allen said in addition to the Halloween Cruise being a popular activity for local families, running the Halloween Cruise is a family endeavor for the Allens and their eight children, who range in age from 11 to 27.
“Our kids enjoy having a concessions stand and learning how to budget their money and be able to sell the popcorn and some candy and light sticks,” Melanie Allen said. “Our kids have also helped either being a captain on the ship or being a pirate.”
Benjamin Allen said Halloween Cruise groups can enjoy the fall colors in the trees before it gets dark and sometimes spot wildlife along the river such as beaver, muskrat, ducks and great horned owls.
“It’s just a unique experience to be out on the river at night, especially,” Benjamin Allen said.
Melanie Allen said she hopes the takeaway for those who go on the Halloween Cruise is good, clean family fun and wholesome entertainment.
“It’s just fun for the whole family,” Benjamin Allen said. “That’s why it’s a tradition is because it’s a good family event.”
HALLOWEEN CRUISE
What: A Halloween Cruise on the Provo River featuring pirates, scary stories and jack-o’-lanterns.
When: Now through Oct. 31, open Monday-Thursday from 6:30-9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 6:30-10 p.m., with rides every 30 minutes.
Where: CLAS Ropes Course, 3606 W. Center St., Provo
Cost: $8 per person
Info: clasropes.com