Halloween and Horror Conventions 2026-2027: Every Haunt Trade Show and Fan Con, by Date
The next stops on the Halloween and horror convention calendar are Son of Monsterpalooza in Burbank, Oct. 9-11, ScareFest Weekend in Lexington, Ky., Oct. 23-25, and Spooky Empire in Orlando, Oct. 30-Nov. 1. On the haunt industry side, the Legendary Haunt Tour visits three North Carolina haunts Nov. 5-7, IAAPA Expo runs in Orlando Nov. 16-20, and TransWorld’s Halloween & Attractions Show, the industry’s main buying show, returns to St. Louis Feb. 25-28, 2027. Below is every haunt trade show, Halloween convention, and horror con through 2027, sorted by date, with each show’s official site and my coverage.
2026-2027 Shows by Date
| Event | Dates | Location | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Son of Monsterpalooza | Oct 9-11, 2026 | Burbank, CA | Fan Convention / SFX Makeup |
| ScareFest Weekend | Oct 23-25, 2026 | Lexington, KY | Horror Convention |
| Washington State Horror Con | Oct 23-25, 2026 | Puyallup, WA | Horror Convention |
| Spooky Empire | Oct 30-Nov 1, 2026 | Orlando, FL | Horror Convention |
| Monster-Mania 68 | Oct 30-Nov 1, 2026 | Baltimore, MD | Horror Convention |
| Legendary Haunt Tour | Nov 5-7, 2026 | North Carolina | Haunt Industry + Fans |
| IAAPA Expo | Nov 16-20, 2026 | Orlando, FL | Attractions Industry |
| Monster-Mania 69 | Nov 20-22, 2026 | Oaks, PA | Horror Convention |
| Creep It Real OC Festive | Nov 20-22, 2026 | Santa Ana, CA | Fan Convention |
| Halloween & Party Expo | Jan 11-13, 2027 | New Orleans, LA | Retail |
| Creep I.E. Con | Feb 5-7, 2027 | Ontario, CA | Fan Convention |
| TransWorld’s Escape Room Summit | Feb 22, 2027 | St. Louis, MO | Escape Room Industry |
| TransWorld’s Halloween & Attractions Show | Feb 25-28, 2027 | St. Louis, MO | Haunt Industry |
| Mad Monster Party Carolina | Feb 26-28, 2027 | Concord, NC | Horror Convention |
| East Coast Haunters Convention | Apr 22-25, 2027 | Oaks, PA | Haunt Industry + Fans |
| ShudderCon | Apr 24-25, 2027 | Chattanooga, TN | Haunt Industry + Fans |
| Halfway To Halloween Expo | May 7-8, 2027 | Ann Arbor, MI | Fan Convention |
| Ohio Haunters Convention | May 22-23, 2027 | Mansfield, OH | Haunt Industry + Fans |
| Midwest Haunters Convention | June 10-13, 2027 | Rosemont, IL | Haunt Industry |
| Texas Haunters Convention | July 17-18, 2027 | Dallas/Fort Worth, TX | Haunt Industry |
| CreepyCon | July 30-Aug 1, 2027 | Knoxville, TN | Fan Convention |
| Midsummer Scream | Aug 6-8, 2027 | Anaheim, CA | Fan Convention |
| Season’s Screamings | Dec 4-5, 2027 | Long Beach, CA | Fan Convention |
| Texas Frightmare Weekend | TBA | Irving, TX | Horror Convention |
| Haunters Against Hate | TBA | TBA | Haunt Industry |
| Southeast Hollows Haunt Convention | TBA | Savannah, GA | Haunt Industry |
| Ghosts of Summer | TBA | Portland, OR | Fan Convention |
| Creep It Real OC | TBA | Santa Ana, CA | Haunt Industry |
| IAAPA Expo Europe | TBA | Europe | Attractions Industry |
| The Spooky Swap Meet | TBA | Los Angeles, CA | Fan Convention |
| Monsterpalooza | TBA | Pasadena, CA | Fan Convention / SFX Makeup |
| ScareCON | TBA | England | Haunt Industry |
Still to Come in 2026
Son of Monsterpalooza
Son of Monsterpalooza is the fall edition of Monsterpalooza, a show built around monster and movie makeup art, with exhibitors, special effects demos, celebrity guests and autographs, photo ops, panels, and a costume contest.
| Dates | Oct 9-11, 2026 |
| Location | Marriott Burbank Convention Center, Burbank, California |
| Type | Fan Convention / SFX Makeup |
| Official site | monsterpalooza.com |
ScareFest Weekend
ScareFest Weekend is a Lexington horror convention with celebrity guests, cast reunions, photo ops, autographs, vendors, artists, filmmakers, paranormal programming, and cosplay. It has run for nearly two decades.
| Dates | Oct 23-25, 2026 |
| Location | Central Bank Center, Lexington, Kentucky |
| Type | Horror Convention |
| Official site | scarefestweekend.com |
Washington State Horror Con
The third annual Washington State Horror Con brings celebrity guests from horror films and TV, more than 200 vendors and artists, panels, film presentations, and a car show to the Washington State Fair grounds.
| Dates | Oct 23-25, 2026 |
| Location | Washington State Fair & Events Center, Puyallup, Washington |
| Type | Horror Convention |
| Official site | wahorrorcon.com |
Spooky Empire
Spooky Empire bills itself as “The Dark Side of Comic Con.” The Halloween-weekend show has celebrity autographs and photo ops, vendors, costume contests, a haunt, live performances, fan panels, and a film festival. The vendor room opens at 1 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
| Dates | Oct 30-Nov 1, 2026 |
| Location | Hyatt Regency Orlando, Orlando, Florida |
| Type | Horror Convention |
| Official site | spookyempire.com |
Monster-Mania
Monster-Mania, which calls itself “The semi-annual Philadelphia Horror Film & Memorabilia Convention,” now runs several shows a year. Two are still ahead in 2026: Monster-Mania 68 in Baltimore over Halloween weekend and Monster-Mania 69 in Oaks, Pennsylvania, the weekend before Thanksgiving. Both have celebrity guests, photo ops, and vendors.
| Dates | Oct 30-Nov 1, 2026 (Baltimore) and Nov 20-22, 2026 (Oaks, PA) |
| Location | Baltimore, Maryland (Monster-Mania 68) and Oaks, Pennsylvania (Monster-Mania 69) |
| Type | Horror Convention |
| Official site | monstermania.net |
Legendary Haunt Tour
The 2026 Legendary Haunt Tour, TransWorld’s post-season tour of top haunted attractions, visits Woods of Terror, Kersey Valley Spookywoods, and Lake Hickory Haunts, with the Marriott Greensboro Downtown as the host hotel. Read my full Legendary Haunt Tour guide for the three haunts and tickets.
| Dates | Nov 5-7, 2026 |
| Location | North Carolina (host hotel: Marriott Greensboro Downtown) |
| Type | Haunt Industry + Fans |
| Official site | legendaryhaunttour.com |
| HAN coverage | Legendary Haunt Tour guide · When do haunted houses open in 2026? |
IAAPA Expo
The North American IAAPA Expo serves operators, suppliers, investors, and developers from theme parks, water parks, family entertainment centers, museums, zoos, and every other kind of attraction. Education runs Nov. 16-19 and the show floor Nov. 17-20, and the Orange County Convention Center’s West Building joins the North and South buildings this year, with the Haunting Grounds haunt section moving there.
| Dates | Nov 16-20, 2026 |
| Location | Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida |
| Type | Attractions Industry |
| Official site | iaapa.org/expos/iaapa-expo |
| HAN coverage | Haunting Grounds moves to the West Building as IAAPA Expo 2026 registration opens and inside IAAPA’s Haunting Grounds 2025 |
Creep It Real OC Festive
Creep It Real OC Festive is the holiday-horror follow-up to the September festival, running 4 to 10 p.m. each night. It centers on the CryptsMas Marketplace, with more than 120 spooky holiday vendors, plus live entertainment, characters including Kreep Kringle, food trucks, and a nightly Ghoul Yule Parade. Kids 10 and under get in free with a paid adult.
| Dates | Nov 20-22, 2026 |
| Location | Heritage Museum of Orange County, Santa Ana, California |
| Type | Fan Convention |
| Official site | creepitrealoc.com |
Winter and Spring 2027
Halloween & Party Expo
The Halloween & Party Expo connects buyers and manufacturers of Halloween, costume, and party products. Registration for 2027 is open, and the show returns to New Orleans after running in Las Vegas in 2026. HCA names its Spooky Awards winners at the expo’s Welcome Reception on January 11, and the 24 finalists are in my Spooky Awards finalists story.
| Dates | Jan 11-13, 2027 |
| Location | Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Hall H, New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Type | Retail |
| Official site | halloweenpartyexpo.com |
| HAN coverage | Registration open for 2027, and the show returns to New Orleans |
Creep I.E. Con
Creep I.E. runs Inland Empire fan conventions twice a year: Creep I.E. Con in February and Creep I.E. Aftermath in September. The 2027 Creep I.E. Con runs 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, with VIP entry at 10 a.m. on the weekend.
| Dates | Feb 5-7, 2027 |
| Location | Ontario, California |
| Type | Fan Convention |
| Official site | creepiecon.com |
TransWorld’s Escape Room Summit
TransWorld’s Escape Room Summit is a new one-day event for up to 100 established escape room owners, senior operators, designers, and industry leaders, with advanced education, hands-on working labs, and networking. It opens a week of escape room events ahead of TransWorld’s St. Louis trade shows. Speakers, pricing, and registration haven’t been announced yet.
| Dates | Feb 22, 2027 |
| Location | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Type | Escape Room Industry |
| Official site | transworldtradeshows.com |
| HAN coverage | TransWorld launches a 100-person Escape Room Summit |
TransWorld’s Halloween & Attractions Show
TransWorld’s Halloween & Attractions Show is the haunt industry’s main buying show, where haunt owners come to network, get new ideas, and buy for the next season. It has a large interactive show floor, educational sessions, haunt tours, and networking events.
| Dates | Feb 25-28, 2027 |
| Location | America’s Center, St. Louis, Missouri |
| Type | Haunt Industry |
| Official site | haashow.com |
| HAN coverage | Your essential guide to TransWorld 2026 · 16 vendor spotlights from TransWorld 2026 and inside the haunted house trade show |
Mad Monster Party Carolina
Mad Monster Party Carolina is a horror convention known for costume photo ops that put guests inside recreated film and TV scenes with the stars. Tickets cost less online than at the box office, which takes cash only.
| Dates | Feb 26-28, 2027 |
| Location | Embassy Suites by Hilton, Concord, North Carolina |
| Type | Horror Convention |
| Official site | madmonster.com |
East Coast Haunters Convention
TransWorld’s East Coast Haunters Convention is a regional show for home and pro haunters, actors, and Halloween fans, open to the public. Pre-convention haunt tours run April 22-23, and the convention runs April 24-25. Tickets can be bought at the door.
| Dates | Apr 22-25, 2027 |
| Location | Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks, Pennsylvania |
| Type | Haunt Industry + Fans |
| Official site | eastcoasthauntersconvention.com |
| HAN coverage | Your essential guide to the 2026 East Coast Haunters Convention and the 2025 complete guide |
ShudderCon
ShudderCon is a two-day horror and haunt convention at Camp Jordan Arena in East Ridge, with panels, exhibits, haunted attraction vendors, and horror programming.
| Dates | Apr 24-25, 2027 |
| Location | Camp Jordan Arena, East Ridge (Chattanooga), Tennessee |
| Type | Haunt Industry + Fans |
| Official site | shuddercon.com |
Halfway To Halloween Expo
Halfway To Halloween brings haunted attractions, home haunters, artists, makers, performers, food trucks, and hearse owners together each May, with a collaborative haunted house and a Haunt Alley. Friday, May 7, is adults only from 7 to 11 p.m., and on Saturday, May 8, from noon to 6 p.m., kids 12 and under get in free. The 2027 theme is Camp Dibik.
| Dates | May 7-8, 2027 |
| Location | Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| Type | Fan Convention |
| Official site | halfwaytohalloweenmi.com |
Ohio Haunters Convention
The Ohio Haunters Association returns to the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, home of Blood Prison, for its 2027 convention, after the 2026 show there on May 9-10. It has a vendor floor, education sessions, and a Costume Ball, and the reformatory runs escape rooms during the convention.
| Dates | May 22-23, 2027 |
| Location | Ohio State Reformatory and Blood Prison, Mansfield, Ohio |
| Type | Haunt Industry + Fans |
| Official site | ohiohaunters.com |
Summer 2027
Midwest Haunters Convention
TransWorld’s Midwest Haunters Convention is a Halloween and haunted attraction convention open to the public, with a show floor, seminars, tours, networking, and contests. Pre-convention haunt tours run June 10-11, and the convention runs June 12-13.
| Dates | June 10-13, 2027 |
| Location | Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Illinois |
| Type | Haunt Industry |
| Official site | midwesthaunterscon.com |
| HAN coverage | Midwest Haunters Convention 2025: complete guide |
Texas Haunters Convention
Texas Haunters Convention fills more than 84,000 square feet of the Irving Convention Center with family-friendly vendors, events, demonstrations, and classes for Halloween and cosplay fans. Attendee registration opens March 1. See my complete attendee guide to the Texas Haunters Convention.
| Dates | July 17-18, 2027 |
| Location | Irving Convention Center, Irving, Texas (Dallas/Fort Worth) |
| Type | Haunt Industry |
| Official site | texashauntersconvention.com |
| HAN coverage | Complete Attendee Guide · 2023 recap |
CreepyCon
CreepyCon is a Halloween and horror convention at the Knoxville Convention Center with more than 200 vendors and exhibitors. The 2027 theme is Aliens & Vampires.
| Dates | July 30-Aug 1, 2027 |
| Location | Knoxville Convention Center, Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Type | Fan Convention |
| Official site | creepycon.com |
Midsummer Scream
Midsummer Scream moves to the Anaheim Convention Center for its 2027 show after its run in Long Beach. It opens the Southern California Halloween season with exhibitors, mini haunts, panels, workshops, and live entertainment, and several major Southern California haunts reveal their season lineups there, including the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, and Six Flags Fright Fest.
| Dates | Aug 6-8, 2027 |
| Location | Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California |
| Type | Fan Convention |
| Official site | midsummerscream.org |
| HAN coverage | Midsummer Scream moves to Anaheim for 2027 · Midsummer Scream guide |
Fall and Winter 2027
Season’s Screamings
Season’s Screamings is Midsummer Scream’s holiday-horror convention, returning after several years away. It was last held at the Pasadena Convention Center. The revived event moves to the Long Beach Convention Center in December 2027 with the Hall of Yuletide Spirits, spooky vendors, and other surprises, keeping the organizers in Long Beach after the summer show moves to Anaheim.
| Dates | Dec 4-5, 2027 |
| Location | Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California |
| Type | Fan Convention |
| Official site | midsummerscream.org |
| HAN coverage | Season’s Screamings returns to Long Beach for 2027 |
Shows Without 2027 Dates Yet
Texas Frightmare Weekend
Texas Frightmare Weekend has run in the Dallas area since 2006. It has not posted its 2027 dates, but its first 2027 guests, tickets, and hotel reservations open Oct. 19, 2026.
| Dates | 2027 dates TBA |
| Location | Irving Convention Center, Irving, Texas |
| Type | Horror Convention |
| Official site | texasfrightmareweekend.com |
Haunters Against Hate
Haunters Against Hate is a nonprofit that gives grants to local nonprofits supporting LGBTQ+ communities, with an emphasis on youth, and its conventions celebrate local attractions and haunters. The Event 4 ran Aug. 1-2, 2026, in Kalamazoo, and the site is taking sign-ups for updates on the fifth event.
| Dates | 2027 dates TBA |
| Location | TBA (2026: Kalamazoo, Michigan) |
| Type | Haunt Industry |
| Official site | hahtheevent.com |
| HAN coverage | Haunters Against Hate moves to Michigan for its fourth annual convention |
Southeast Hollows Haunt Convention
The Southeast Hollows Haunt Convention is a Savannah show for haunt enthusiasts, home and professional haunters, actors, and makeup artists. Its 2026 convention, set for July 31 to Aug. 2, was canceled due to illness, according to its website, and no 2027 date has been posted.
| Dates | 2027 dates TBA |
| Location | Savannah, Georgia |
| Type | Haunt Industry |
| Official site | sehhc.com |
| HAN coverage | Southeast Hollows Haunt Convention and other haunting events |
Ghosts of Summer
The Ghosts of Summer Halloween Convention is run by a small group of friends from theater, music, visual arts, event producing, and teaching. The 2026 edition, Tombstones and Tomes, ran Aug. 7-8, and the 2027 dates have not been posted.
| Dates | 2027 dates TBA |
| Location | Portland, Oregon |
| Type | Fan Convention |
| Official site | ghostsofsummerpdx.com |
Creep It Real OC
Creep It Real OC is an Orange County Halloween festival at the Heritage Museum of Orange County with vendors, live music, celebrity panels, and seasonal experiences. The 2026 festival ran Sept. 11-13, and its holiday edition, Creep It Real OC Festive, returns Nov. 20-22. See my Creep It Real OC 2026 guide.
| Dates | 2027 dates TBA |
| Location | Heritage Museum of Orange County, Santa Ana, California |
| Type | Haunt Industry |
| Official site | creepitrealoc.com |
| HAN coverage | Creep It Real OC 2026 |
IAAPA Expo Europe
IAAPA Expo Europe gathers attractions professionals from across the region with a trade show floor of suppliers and an education program. The 2026 show runs Sept. 21-25 at ExCeL London, and IAAPA has not posted the 2027 dates or city. IAAPA’s next international shows are IAAPA Expo Middle East in Abu Dhabi, April 12-15, 2027, and IAAPA Expo Asia in Osaka, June 28 to July 1, 2027.
| Dates | 2027 dates TBA |
| Location | 2026: ExCeL London, London, UK |
| Type | Attractions Industry |
| Official site | iaapa.org/expos/iaapa-expo-europe |
The Spooky Swap Meet
The Spooky Swap Meet is a curated swap meet among the Victorian mansions of Heritage Square Museum, selling vintage and gently used Halloween decor, props, costumes, collectibles, and creepy antiquities. Year six ran April 24-26, 2026, and the 2027 dates have not been posted.
| Dates | 2027 dates TBA |
| Location | Heritage Square Museum, Los Angeles, California |
| Type | Fan Convention |
| Official site | spookyswapmeet.com |
| HAN coverage | Spooky Swap Meet VI tickets on sale |
Monsterpalooza
Monsterpalooza, the spring show from the team behind Son of Monsterpalooza, celebrates monster and movie makeup art with exhibitors, a monster museum, makeup demos, and celebrity guests. Its 2027 dates have not been posted.
| Dates | 2027 dates TBA |
| Location | Pasadena, California |
| Type | Fan Convention / SFX Makeup |
| Official site | monsterpalooza.com |
ScareCON
ScareCON is a UK trade show for the scare attraction and horror industry, with exhibitors, workshops and seminars, the ScareBall, and the SCAR awards. The 2026 show was held near Birmingham, and ScareCON 27 dates have not been announced. A one-day ScareCON Aftershock runs Oct. 3, 2026, at Traumatica, Europa-Park’s Halloween horror event.
| Dates | 2027 dates TBA |
| Location | 2026: The Heart of England Convention Centre, near Birmingham, England |
| Type | Haunt Industry |
| Official site | scarecon.org |
| HAN coverage | SCARE Awards 2026 nominees announced ahead of ScareCON |
Halloween and Horror Convention FAQ
What is the main haunted attraction trade show?
TransWorld’s Halloween & Attractions Show in St. Louis is the haunt industry’s main buying show. The 2027 show runs Feb. 25-28 at America’s Center.
Which horror conventions are left in 2026?
Son of Monsterpalooza in Burbank (Oct. 9-11), ScareFest Weekend in Lexington and Washington State Horror Con in Puyallup (both Oct. 23-25), Spooky Empire in Orlando and Monster-Mania 68 in Baltimore (both Oct. 30-Nov. 1), and Monster-Mania 69 in Oaks, Pennsylvania (Nov. 20-22).
When is Midsummer Scream 2027?
Aug. 6-8, 2027, at the Anaheim Convention Center, its first year in Anaheim. Its holiday show, Season’s Screamings, follows Dec. 4-5, 2027, in Long Beach.
Are haunt conventions open to the public?
Many are. Fan conventions like Midsummer Scream, CreepyCon, Spooky Empire, and Monsterpalooza are built for the public, and the Midwest Haunters and East Coast Haunters conventions are open to the public too. TransWorld is the main industry-buyer show.
This list was last updated on September 25, 2026. Know an event I should add? Submit it here.
