There’s going to be a Homicide on the Homestead on Saturday, Sept. 20.
That’s pretty much the only thing that’s for sure, as the Huble Homestead Historic Site will once again be set up for its popular murder mystery event in Huble House — where even you could be the killer.
This event is presented by the non-profit Huble Homestead/Giscome Portage Heritage Society.
Designed for adults, the afternoon intrigue will have a 1990s theme, where those registered will get their character details and suggested costume ideas in their invitation to help set the scene.
The first Homicide on the Homestead was held in 2014, and it’s been a sold-out event most years.
“This was the brainchild of our program manager Nicole Krizmanich and originally we had done one set in the 19-teens because that’s when Huble Homestead’s time period is and it was a lot of fun,” said Krystal Leason, executive director.
“So we had another one the next year, also set in the 1910s, so when we had seen a couple of repeat guests and we asked for some feedback and they said they’d like to do the 1920s the next year, so we thought we could just work our way through the decades — and so we have been — and now we’re on to the 1990s.”
Next year they’ll reset back to the 1910s to keep things fresh, Leason added.
“Huble Homestead was already a park in the mid-90s, so the premise at this point is that we’re hosting an engagement party — and not all of the guests are there to celebrate,” Leason hinted.
“All of the mysteries that we’ve had are kind of based on a packaged one and then we do a lot of editing. We hardly notice the resemblance by the time we’re finished with it because we want to set everything in its proper decade and we try to make everything locally relevant as much as we can. So there’s a regional district director — a fake one that’s a character this year. We have business people who have ties to our local industries. So, for example, in the 20s mystery we had the owners of the Red & Black Café, for instance. So we try to make everything really relevant and unique and it’s such a fun time because we assign everybody their characters.”
About a week before the event, those registered get sent an email with their character’s description and costume ideas. Organizers offer a bit of a clue as to what to look for when thrifting or even discovering items in your own closet when it comes to a costume, Leason added.
“Two years ago a guy had grown a beard and moustache and he was going to shave it anyway, so he just shaved the beard off and left the 70s moustache — and it looked sooooo good,” Leason laughed.
“His partner wasn’t super stoked about the facial hair, but it was perfect! And then she said, ‘He’s going home to shave.’ But some people really go over the top — and that’s what makes it so much fun.”
Hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the afternoon, and when you arrive, you get your first-round objectives and meet everyone participating.
“During that time you are free to do whatever investigating you want, so if you’re not a talker, you might not solve the mystery — but you’ll still have fun,” Leason said.
“The more people you talk to, the better your chances of putting the clues together. And there are prizes for people who get it correct — and there’s a prize for the killer if they get away with murder."
One of the guests is the killer, but doesn't know it until round two. In round one, the groundwork is laid out, and then usually in the middle someone dies. So then in round two, you find out if you killed the person — and some of the clues are offered as a recap, she added.
“Then you have to try and use that to do some digging,” Leason said.
“Everyone has special objectives that they’re supposed to try and do — like talk to certain people, ask about this, you overheard this a while ago, find out what they meant. You’re not supposed to lie, but you can hedge and evade, and you can bribe people — we give you fake money — or you can extort people — and yes, there is a prize for the person with the most money!”
There are prizes for best female costume, best male costume and best performance, too.
“It’s a really entertaining day,” Leason said.
“I just love listening to people as they have their clandestine meetings in the corners of the room and outside by the root cellar — and that’s one of the other special things about the event. It’s hosted right in historic Huble House, so normally when you visit, there are gates up so you can visit but you don’t enter any of the rooms. But for this event, we open all the gates and you can have hors d’oeuvres in the parlour or go up into one of the bedrooms to have a little conversation if you need to. The whole house is roped off for mystery guests’ use, and then it ends at 4 p.m. and we’ll have a round-table discussion and ask who you think is the killer — and have some dessert as we do all the tallying. It’s just such a fun afternoon.”
There have been a lot of repeat players over the years.
“So obviously we’re doing something right,” Leason said.
Registration deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 3. Space is limited, and costumes are strongly recommended. Tickets are $55 each and available at www.hublehomestead.ca.
