October 25, 2007
A Bright and Early Start on Washington, D.C. Area Television for Spooktacular Events in Prince William County and Manassas, Virginia!

WUSA-TV, Channel 9, shone the spotlight on Halloween events in Prince William County and Manassas, Virginia (www.visitpwc.com) , bright and early on Thursday, October 25, 2007. Veteran television reporter Jan Fox and her crew broadcast live from the Manassas Museum several times during the “Nine News This Morning” broadcast with anchors Andrea Roane and Mike Walters.

The Media Relations Manager for the Prince William County/Manassas Convention and Visitors Bureau, worked with WUSA-TV planning editors in recent weeks to arrange the on-location broadcast. “Our destination offers year-round events for all ages and interests. This time of year, we wanted to promote some of the best hauntings around. What better way to showcase them than to broadcast live!”

Lisa Sievel-Otten, marketing and media coordinator for the Manassas Museum, told viewers about the three, Spirited Past tours -- beginning and ending at the museum – on Saturday, October 27, 2007. “These aren’t your usual ghost tours,” she said.  “These walking tours hosted by costumed interpreters, feature little-known and sometimes surprising stories about unusual happenings in Old Town Manassas over the years.”

“Given our limited budget for advertising, the opportunity to feature our event and our museum on television was vitally important. Television offers widespread exposure like no other media and we were grateful for the CVB to initiate this coverage,” added Sievel-Otten, who, along with Visitor Services Aide Bernadette McConnell, wore period costumes and carried lanterns to cast an ominous glow during the broadcast this morning. Tickets must be purchased in advance for the Spirited Past Tours by calling 703-368-1873.

Deleney Ritter of the City of Manassas Recreation and Parks Department promoted the Winter’s Branch Haunted Trail at Jennie Dean Park from 7-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, October 26 and 27 ($3 admission; children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult) and a Harvest Moon Candy Hunt on the lawn of the Manassas Museum, the evening of Sunday, October 28, 2007 ($5 per child; times vary by age group).

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During the live broadcast, Ritter and volunteers Mark Seklemian and Jonathan Short were dressed in costumes they will wear on the Haunted Trail, which this year features a movie monsters theme.

“We couldn’t do this without all the volunteers. 50 to 60 volunteers are coming from local businesses, middle and high schools, even a George Mason University fraternity. Also, credit certainly goes to the creative minds behind the scenes for this year’s theme, Jonathan Short and Joel Tinnel. Without everyone’s hard work on costumes, props and scenery, there wouldn’t be a trail,” said Ritter.

Among the area’s other haunted happenings: ghost tours of Historic Occoquan and of newly-renovated Rippon Lodge, a Spooky Splash Bash, Brentsville Haunted Woods, Manassas Park’s Trail of Terror, the Haunted History Hike at Leesylvania State Park, the Fall Festival in Dumfries, the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by the Manassas Ballet and a Haunted Winery Weekend at LaGrange in Haymarket. For details on all these events in Prince William County and Manassas, Virginia, please call the Convention and Visitors Bureau at (703) 396-7130, 1-800-432-1792 or log on to www.visitpwc.com.