
Photos by Maria Martin
1. A Haunted Carnival guest dressed as a French maid chills out in a virtual world
2. Costumed revelers sidle up to the bar for drinks
3. A man engages his muscles in a very physical VR encounter
4. A hipster and a cat make the rounds of the carnival
5. Fully immersive VR takes a guest into another world
The creative co-working campus CTRL Collective transformed on Oct. 26 into a freaky funhouse with food trucks and a frightening Ferris wheel to celebrate Halloween. Psychotic clowns chased costumed ghouls through a scream-filled maze while other partygoers enjoyed over a dozen different virtual and augmented reality experiences.
Some of the VR highlights included a bloody Roman gladiator battle from Colosseum VR, where many participants struggled to keep their virtual head. Paranormal Evidence from Next VR allowed guests to experience the hauntings of a 19th-century insane asylum.
Those who didn’t want to don a VR headset could enjoy IRL carnival games and photo booths or join the monster mash on the dance floor.
Ten percent of the Carnival’s proceeds benefitted the CSSSA Foundation, a nonprofit that raises a diverse array of private sector funds for the California State Summer School for the Arts.
— Shanee Edwards
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