OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Fog rose from the ballfield and nervous giggles abounded as the wagon circled around The Ballpark Thursday night at the opening night of Field of Screams.

Town Recreation Director Jason Webber, who narrated the spooky ride, told the fictional tale of Lily Blair, who many years ago was at The Ballpark watching a Maine Guides game with her family.

“She took a casual walk into the woods, never to return,” said Webber. There were search parties, but she was never found, he said.

Nicole Welch, programmer with the Old Orchard Beach recreation department, played a medium trying to conjure up the sprit of young Blair.

“Little Lily Blair, please give us a sign,” she said, telling Blair, “we mean no harm ”¦ we want to help you.”

As the wagon moved forward, the young Blair mysteriously appeared along the way, giving riders eerie glimpses into her ghostly world.

Riders were also met with a spectacle of ominous creatures lurking in the darkness, waiting to jump out and scare people. One of the more notable characters jumped out with a chain saw, in the style of Leatherface from “Texas Chain Saw Massacre.”

Webber estimated there were about 50 volunteers working to make the ride happen.

“They put a lot of work into this,” said Webber. “It’s very scary, very fun.”

Field of Screams is the first haunted hayride hosted by OOB365, a downtown development and promotions group, and proceeds from the event will go toward its coffers.

The Field of Screams will run this weekend through Sunday, and continue Oct. 24-27 and Oct. 30. Gates open at 5 p.m., with a not-so-scary ride set for the first hour. General admission tickets are $13. VIP passes, which can be purchased online at www.OOB365.com, are $18, and VIP ticket holders can avoid the ticket lines at the event.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].