Upcoming Halloween Events

Halloween is not just a day for me; it's a whole season. It starts in late September with some wonderful Halloween events I attend every year. Here are some of them plus a couple of new events.

* Knott's Scary Farm

Knott's Scary Farm has been raising their standards year after year with interesting concepts, better sound and visual effects, improving makeup effects, and original ideas. The announced mazes are Red Barn, Paranormal Inc., Special Ops: Infected, Trick or Treat: Lights Out, Pumpkin Eater, Dark Ride, and Shadowlands. Most of these are amazing attractions that have been improved year after year. It's the first repeat for Pumpkin Eater so I'm excited to see what's changing with that. Shadowlands is insensitive, awful, and not scary. That's disappointing, but the rest are enjoyable. Two more mazes haven't been announced and I'm hoping for Nevermore. Very excited for this park.

* Universal's Halloween Horror Nights

Universal is my gold standard for Halloween haunts. It always has amazing makeup, sound and visual effects, music, and actors. The announced mazes are Stranger Things, Universal Monsters (!!), Trick 'r Treat (!!!!),  Poltergeist (!!!), The First Purge, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers, The Terrors of Blumhouse: Chapter 2 (Truth or Dare and Unfriended), and Hollywood Harry's Dreadtime Storiez for the Terror Tram. I am so excited for this!!! So many of my favorite movies are being covered. The only lackluster entries seem to be Blumhouse and The First Purge. I'm interested how Unfriended is going to be since the whole movie was on a computer screen.

The RIP Tour is back for the second year in a row and it's better than ever (and a tad more expensive). It's totally worth it for the food and valet parking, but the added trams to the backlot and Terror Tram, makeup effects demonstration, and dessert make it even more so. I have high expectations for this park.

* Six Flags Fright Fest

Every year Six Flags has their Fright Fest. I haven't gone because it's pretty far from where I live, but this year, they are collaborating with the film Hell Fest. One of their mazes will replicate the horror attractions in the film that will include The Mausoleum's narrowing corridor, The Mask Room's sea of floating white faces, The Doll Room, and The Torture Chamber's carnage. The other mazes are original content that include Red's Revenge, Sewer of Souls, Condemned- Forever Damned, Willoughby's Resurrected, and Aftermath 2: Chaos Rising. I'm debating on whether to go to this or not, but the Hell Fest maze interests me. The concept of the film is brilliant and what I've seen of the mazes look pretty good.