CHESNEE, SC (WSPA) – A Halloween attraction at a popular Upstate farm is causing concern.
Customers said Strawberry Hill USA in Chesnee has an attraction that resembles human lynchings.
Carol Ruffin took her two-year-old granddaughter to the farm Sunday afternoon. She said it was a great trip until she took the hayride.
“At first I thought it was just men standing there, and the closer we got, I thought this is not real,” Ruffin said.
She said on two parts of the ride customers come across scarecrows hanging from trees.
“It just looked like men hanging from the tree…To me it just wasn’t appropriate,” Ruffin said.
7 News reached out to Strawberry Hill. The director acknowledged he got a complaint about the attraction. However, he said it was not his intention to offend anyone.
The business also responded to Carol on Facebook saying the scarecrows were just for fun. But, she said that’s not how it came across.
“It sends a message that we’re not making any progress,” Ruffin said.
A school teacher also sent a picture of the attraction in to 7 News. She said she didn’t feel comfortable with her students seeing the display.
Some parents said they weren’t offended and the scarecrows were just meant to spook the kids.
But, Ruffin said the attraction wasn’t in good taste.
“It’s not so much they were hanging from trees, but they were actually hanging from their necks,” Ruffin said. “I would like to see them come down, and if they’re scarecrows place them in the field where they’re supposed to be.”
Strawberry Hill did not say if they would remove the attraction.
Have to say, a side of me takes issue with the faux indignation. She thinks its inappropriate for the depiction of hanging bodies posing as strange fruit, but doesnt see a problem with taking a two year old to a halloween attraction? Funny, I didnt know it was acceptable to expose two year olds to ghouls, monsters, the undead, blood, Samhain, etc..