The Smith Family Halloween maze has become part of Fearfest this year. Photo: Smith’s Halloween Maze.
If you’ve been scared out of your skin at Port Kembla’s Halloween Haunted House, you can thank Josh Smith.
The father-of-three is the one-man creative team behind the Smith Family Halloween maze, an annual labour of love undertaken, in Josh’s words, “because I’m an idiot”.
The free attraction has run in Port Kembla since 2020, first at Josh’s home and this year at Future Artifact as part of Port Kembla’s Fearfest.
Each year is bigger and better than the one before, and the layout even changes from night to night to ensure repeat visitors still get their thrills.
Josh has always loved Halloween, but said it was the combination of a trip to the US, followed by COVID lockdowns, that inspired him.
“I went to the US in 2018 and I got to see how everybody got involved in Halloween,” he said.
“It was so cool – such a feeling of community love.
“I grew up watching horror movies and Universal Studios put on these incredible Halloween Horror Night themed mazes.
“I’d always put up Halloween decorations in my front yard and done trick or treat with the kids, and then 2020 came.
“We had young kids and it was horrible not to be able to enjoy it. I thought, ‘Next year, I’m going big.'”
Go big he did. Josh said he started planning the maze in May of each year.
Once he’s identified the themes and characters he can start building set pieces and props from scratch.
He also has a storage unit where he keeps props he finds throughout the year.
He said for a few months of the year his time was pretty equally split between work and Halloween prep, with his kids popping in to help build and paint.
Then it’s time to recruit friends and family members to get dressed up and spook maze-goers on the night.
“I take pride in it; I don’t want people to walk through and we just stand there and say, ‘Rah,'” Josh said.
“I’m an encyclopaedia of horror and Halloween so I like to throw in little details for the people who really dig it.
“When we held it at home it got to the point where police would come past to check the traffic; it was mayhem.”
Josh feared the maze wouldn’t be able to go ahead this year after a move left him short of room at home.
He got in touch with Kelly Lorimer of Port Kembla Fearfest, and she put the call out for a space.
The maze has found its new home for 2025 at Future Artifact, and will run three sessions over two days.
The Friday night session on 31 October will be an experience for all the boils and ghouls to enjoy the fiendish fun from the twilight hours of 5 – 9 pm.
On Saturday 1 November the maze will team up with the amazing Port Kembla Fearfest where there will be a kid friendlier version with less jump scares and interaction from 2 to 4:30 pm.
Later that afternoon the frightful final instalment will run from 6 to 9 pm – for those who dare to attend.
To those who complain about the ‘American’ holiday gaining popularity on Australian shores, Josh has one thing to say.
“Do you do Valentine’s Day? Or St Patrick’s Day? They’re not technically Australian,” he said.
“This is the time for kids to have a bit of fun and I think it’s sad that’s the only time we worry about the stigma of it being an American holiday.
“Fearfest has really taken off, more and more houses are doing it and people are getting dressed up.
“I love giving back to the community and having fun, and that’s what it’s about.”
