Here is the Haunted Attraction Industry News for March, 28th.
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Industry News
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resorts will open for a record-breaking 43 nights from September 2nd – October 31st. Halloween Horror Nights 2022 will feature 10 new haunted houses, five scare zones, and two live shows, along with themed food & beverages, new merchandise, and more. Event tickets are now on sale starting at $73.99 for a single-night admission. Returning for 2022 is the Halloween Horror Nights Behind-the-Screams: Unmasking the Haunt Tour and the R.I.P. Tour.
SeaWorld has announced the dates for the return of Howl-O-Scream to both their Orlando and San Diego locations. Howl-O-Scream Orlando will take place on 28 select nights September 9th – October 31st. Howl-O-Scream San Diego is scheduled select dates September 16th – October 31st. Mazes, scare zones, shows, and ticket sales will be announced in the coming months.
Knott’s Scary Farm will return September 22nd – October 31st, 2022. The fully transformed theme park features haunted mazes and attractions, sinister shows, and more than 1,000 horrifying creatures lurking in the fog and hiding in every corner of the park. Mazes, scare zones, shows, and more will be announced in the coming months.
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Haunted Attraction Association
2022 HAA Scholarship winners were announced at this year’s Transworld’s Halloween & Attractions Show:
Sponsored by Bloody Mary: Makeup to Die For
Winner: Summer Tapp (Requiem Haunted House)
James K. Smith Scholarship ($1,000)
Sponsored by Froggy’s Fog
Winner: Russell Numberg (The Fourth Scythes Haunted Attraction)
Joe Thaler Scholarship ($1,000)
Sponsored by FearWorm
Winner: Aften Bugos (ExFearience)
Conventions & Mixers
West Coast Halloween Convention announced their class schedule for their May 13th – 15th event. Attendees have their choice of over 30 classes, workshops, and make-and-takes. Friday highlights include “An Introductory Guide To Pneumatics: Basic Components, Connections, and Use” presented by home haunter Scott “Shier Terror” Shier, “Making Rigid Cast Foam Skulls and Bones” ($30 fee) presented by Ed Roberts of Nightmare Factory, and “Fundraising – It’s not just for breakfast anymore!” presented by Kristy Alberty. Saturday highlights include: “Introduction To Using An Airbrush” ($150 Fee) presented by Ken Franklin of FaceFX, and “Haunt Owners Directors Panel” moderated by Jeanmarie Peck of Scare Productions. Sunday highlights include “Make your haunt/yard haunt accessible to all” presented by Ed Roberts of Nightmare Factory. Purchase your WCHC tickets online today – single-day tickets start at $45 presale, $65 at the door.
Halloween & Party Expo will return to The Mirage in Las Vegas January 10th – 12th, 2023. This trade show event for Halloween, party, and specialty vendors features three days of new product releases, networking, and sourcing opportunities. After a very successful 2022 event, the HPE team is excited to return to Las Vegas for 2023. “The feedback post-event was overwhelmingly positive regarding the return to live shows, the need for the events, and the business that got done on the show floor,” said Marni Golden Vinci, Halloween & Party Show Director.
The Spooky Swap Meet announced their Trick or Treat House Sponsors for their upcoming April 30th – May 1st event at the Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles, California. Partners include: LA Haunted Hayride, AdamJessFX, Art’s Sideshow, Gulch Haunted Attraction, Fear Farm, Samhain Cemetery, and Vamp & The Fiends. Each sponsor will decorate one of the facades of the Heritage Square Museum’s Victorian manors and will pass out candy to guests.
Education
The next Haunter’s Toolbox Haunt Master Clas is scheduled for Wednesday, March 30th at 5:30 p.m. PDT – “Haunt Safety: Preparing Your Haunt the Safe Way”. The class will cover Fire Marshals, actor & guest safety, and making sure everything is ready before you open. Guy Buck Burdick, fire safety and haunted attraction specialist will go over what you need to think about before your start, how to keep your code enforcers happy, and why safety is important all year long. Sign up for Haunters Toolbox Membership to access each month’s live session, past recordings, and more.
U.S. Haunts & Events
Kersey Valley Inc., creator of Kersey Valley Spooky Woods, (Archdale, North Carolina) has added new Paranormal Investigations to their list of offerings. Over the past 4 decades of operating their haunt, workers and visitors have experienced strange occurrences on the property. Starting in April, guests will have the opportunity to investigate the location themselves with three different types of ghost-hunting adventures. In the 90-minute experience 2-6 guests will visit the farmhouse. Tickets are $32/person and include a trained guide as well as ghost-hunting equipment provided by Kersey Valley. The truly brave of heart can choose from either 4 or 8 hour paranormal investigations visiting several key areas of the property. These experiences are for a minimum of 6 participants (10 person maximum) and cost $600 for four hours or $1,000 for eight hours. Three guides are provided for these two tours, however participants are expected to bring their own equipment. “We’ve heard so many stories about paranormal activity out here, we just thought it would be fun to let people come investigate,” said owner Tony Wohlgemuth in a local newspaper interview, “Some people believe in it and some don’t, so we wanted to just let the public come decide for themselves.”
A new horror-themed experience is coming to Des Moines, Iowa in May. Monsterama Arcade will feature 50 vintage arcade games, pizza, snacks, and a monstrously themed interior. Owners Chris Pruisney and Jason Shreve reached out to Ian Miller, owner of The Slaughterhouse Haunted Attraction, to transform the building into a family-friendly, “ode to monsters big and small”. A sneak peek photo shows an eight-foot King Kong hand reaching out from the ceiling over the snack counter. Guests will be able to purchase $15 all-you-can-play arcade game access and the venue plans to host regular pinball contests. Follow Monsterama Arcade on Facebook & Instagram for news and updates.
Paranoia Haunted House (Canton, GA) is bringing back their “A Midsummer Night’s Scream” event on Saturday, July 9th. Guests will get a sneak peak of new and exciting changes for the upcoming Halloween season. Tickets will be available in the coming weeks.
Haunted Dome home haunt in Sunland, CA has announced the dates for their 2022 presentation of “Nightmares of Sunland”. The free walkthrough maze will operate October 29th – 31st from 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Learn more about their haunt and icon character backstories on the Haunted Dome Instagram.
Haunt Vendors
Morris Costumes has debuted nine new Animatronics for Halloween 2022. Videos of the new additions were added to Morris Costumes’ Youtube page, showing their movements and light effects. The lineup includes: Animated Hulking Werewolf ($499.99), Animated Whimsical Witch ($349.99), Animated Tumbling Clown Doll ($199.00), Animated Rotten Harvester ($399.99), Animated Graveyard Host ($399.99), Servo Activated Animated Witch ($399.99), 8′ Towering Skelton with Projection Eyes ($399.99), Pesky the Clown ($349.99), and Whimsical Scarecrow ($399.99). Product details can be found at Morris Costumes’ website. The animatronics will be released for purchase in the coming months.
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Upcoming Haunt Events
Easter
All Saints Lunatic Asylum (Apple Valley, CA) – April 8 – 9
Carnage Haunted House (Columbus, OH) – April 8 – 9
Halfway to Halloween
EverHaunt (Angola, NY) – May 13
Fear Fair (Seymour, IN) – May 13 -14
Field of Screams (Lancaster, PA) – May 13 – 14
Planet Doom (Idaho Falls, ID) – May 13 – 14
Reign of Terror (Thousand Oaks, CA) – April 22 – 23
Summer Haunts
Paranoia Haunted House (Canton, GA) – July 9
Podcast Episodes You Might Be Interested In
The Haunted Attraction Association’s 2022 State of the Industry Presentation
This is the full Haunted Attraction Association’s 2022 State of the Industry Presentation recorded live on Saturday from Transworld’s Halloween & Attractions Show. The presentation begins with board member introductions and then proceeds through the presentation agenda.
Q&A with the HAA’s Board of Directors
This Q&A session was recorded live at Transworld immediately following the 2022 State of the Industry Presentation. You’ll hear the Haunted Attraction Association’s Board of Directors take questions from the audience on a range of topics from logistics to staffing, the war’s impact, and whether demand will stay strong.
NightScream Studios Receives HAA Vendor Excellence Award
NightScream Studios received one of this year’s Vendor Excellence Awards – right after selling out on the show floor. Now in their 24th year at the show, NightScream Studios took home one of the Haunted Attraction Association’s Vendor Excellence Awards this year.
Training for New Growth
Supply chain disruptions are back as attractions also struggle with training new staff. Meanwhile, it’s full steam ahead for a record fall season.
The Hyper Realistic Props of Ghost Ride Productions
Coming up, for over 20 years Ghost Ride Productions has been providing hyper-realistic props to attractions – and their orders for this season are filling up fast.
A Scott in the Dark: Transworld 2022
Recorded at the Transworld Halloween, Christmas, and Escape Room show in St. Louis (with a recap recorded in Indianapolis a couple of days later) Scott shares his thoughts and experiences at the show.
Stiltbeast Studios at Transworld 2022
We catch up with Allen Hopps from Stiltbeast Studios on the Transworld Show Floor. Stiltbeast debuted their ‘Bootanicals’ Line of products and, as you’ll hear, celebrated a record-breaking year.
This Episode is Sponsored by:
