There are 13 exhibits this year at the Trail of Horror off Old Barry Road in Quaker Hill, but if you’re easily spooked, you might not make it past the garage.

Despite the scare factor, the trail has had nothing but compliments as a family event for a good cause.

The trail is open for scaring Oct. 23 and 24 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The fee is money or food donations for the Waterford Food Bank and a local animal shelter.

Julie Mei of Waterford recalled one young patron in the past who started crying at the end of the trail. She walked up to the little girl’s father to ask whether she was scared by the trail.

“Her dad was holding her, she was like 4,” she said. “He was all ‘No, she wants to go again.’”

Waterford resident Robert Rossi said his wife Molly is a huge fan of Halloween, and she came up with the idea for a haunted house with friend Joe Harcut. The event started five years ago at the Rossis’ house.

“We put a brand new house in the back and we had an old house in the front,” Rossi said. “Before we tore it down, Joe said, ‘Why don’t we make a haunted house out of it?’”

The event was later moved down the street to the Harcuts’ yard because it’s bigger and less hilly. Preparation for the event starts in September to avoid setting up everything at the last minute, and volunteer work crews are in the trail throughout the process to help transform the property. The garage is divided into different rooms, and walls of corn stalks are set up throughout the yard to direct visitors through all the exhibits. The garden is turned into a graveyard, and this year the Harcuts built a new shed for the séance room.

Each group is also directed by a tour guide in costume to avoid dead time and make sure the timing on some of the acts is right. Last year, the trail started to back up at the fortune teller because so many visitors stayed to hear her prophesies.

“We try to keep your eyes and your body involved the whole time,” said Harcut’s wife, Dawn.

The trail reuses materials from years past to save money, but the attractions change every year to continue surprising the visitors. Local businesses such as the Waterford Stop & Shop and CVS also sponsor the event through the donation of gift cards, candy and other supplies.

Rather than charging admission, the Trail of Horror accepts donations of food, gift certificates or money, which go to the Waterford Food Bank and the local animal shelter. Both families have several pets and want to support the construction of a new facility, and the canned donations can help families just in time for Thanksgiving.

“A lot of the haunted houses we’ve heard about are, like, 18 bucks to get in,” said Dawn, adding that many college kids or families with children can’t afford to attend those events. A can of beans or dog food, on the other hand, allows them to get in and still go out for pizza after.

Most of the patrons are families, but other groups such as the Waterford Country School and various sports teams also attend. One year, a neighbor hosting a Halloween party on the same night as the trail brought his entire party over.

Last year, the event received enough food donations to fill Rossi’s truck, and he’s hoping to double the attendance this year.

a.hutchinson@theday.com

Twitter: @ahutch411