OTHELLO — The straw maze sponsored by the Othello Rodeo Association is truly a family event, starting with the design. 

Straw maze chair Paula Robertson said one of the scary scenarios was the work of three 9-year-old girls. 

“They designed the skeleton wedding all on their own,” she said.  

The straw maze is an important fundraiser for the rodeo association, and it’s built and turned into the scariest place in town by a crew of volunteers. It’s open every Friday and Saturday night throughout October, and on Halloween night. 

Volunteers take the plans and stack the straw bales to build the walls and scary spaces, known as rooms. Volunteers – they’re called scarers – are tasked with making the rooms scary, as scary as they like. 

The maze has plenty of pitch-black spaces, ominous sounds, treacherous surprises – ORA board member Kristy Rattray remembered the year the designers added a mattress to the trail, so that walkers were suddenly confronted with unstable footing. There are creepy characters lurking and flashing lights that reveal ominous sights. 

“We really aim to put on a good show,” Rattray said. 

Every room has a theme; there are new ones almost every year, although there are some perennial favorites. Robertson cited the room based on a well-known movie character, previously the chainsaw room. 

“We’ve expanded into chainsaw alley,” she said. 

As always, the maze was a mix of old, new and updated in 2024.  

“We have the marionette room, the skeleton wedding, and then there are our classics,” Robertson said. “The insane asylum, the clown hallway.”  

The scary is scary enough that some parents let their children go through and they wait outside, said longtime volunteer Rick Bougher in a 2020 interview. People who are okay with waiting outside can watch a Halloween-themed movie in the outdoor theater.  

“We have a young lady on the (rodeo) board, who’s very talented, making up the maze,” Rattray said.  

Sometimes it’s a little too scary for children, Rattray said, so there are emergency exits. A crew of about 20 volunteers patrols the maze to help people find the exits and provide security.  

Many of the scarers are high school students, Rattray said, although there are many families that participate and some adults who just like Halloween.  

The maze began as a fundraiser for a then-rodeo association member who needed help with medical treatment. It became a rodeo association event, even after the original purpose ended.  

It also provides a community purpose, she said. It gives young people who are past the age of trick or treating something else to do. 

“We just want to have a fun place for kids to go and not get in trouble,” Rattray said. “You can come and have fun with your friends.” 

Robertson said the goal is to make the maze a safe and fun – if slightly scary – environment for children. 

“It’s definitely a fun, family-friendly event,” she said. 

The maze also gives the rodeo association finances a needed boost, Rattray said. The ORA increased its payouts in 2024 to stay competitive with other rodeos and there’s a list of ongoing and planned improvements to the grounds.  

The rodeo association has upgraded the arena electrical system and some seating. Board members want to upgrade the arena connectivity and buy new doors for the chutes, among other projects. The money raised through the straw maze provides a cushion, Rattray said. That helps ensure the ORA can continue its upgrades.  

“Plus, it’s fun. It’s a lot of fun,” she said.  

    Volunteer Kaela McIndoe carries a – okay, that’s not a nice clown – into the straw maze sponsored by the Othello Rodeo Association.
 Courtesy photo/Paula Robertson   

    A scary crew of scarers pauses for a photo before going about their work at the Othello straw maze.
 Courtesy photo/Paula Robertson   

    Scarers go about scaring in the ORA straw maze in 2022.
 File photo