Due to newly announced LA County restrictions, Reign of Terror 2020 won’t open for Halloween season 2020.
In a brief statement, Reign of Terror announced on September 21 that it was canceling this year’s event as a result of recently announced LA County restrictions on Halloween events. This guidance specifically bans “carnivals, festivals, live entertainment, and haunted-house attractions.” The Reign of Terror team stated that all previously purchased admission reservations would be refunded in full and were processed on the day of the cancelation announcement.
The Reign of Terror team expressed its sadness at having to make this decision. “We cannot thank our dedicated crew enough, who worked vigorously and tirelessly for over six solid months to prepare, modify, and upgrade Reign of Terror props and apparel to be ready for the unusual situation presented this Fall. We also send our deepest thanks and appreciation to our fervent supporters.”
This closure follows upon guidelines announced by LA County on September 8 that treat-or treating (and trunk-or-treating, gatherings of non-household members, and haunted houses) would be banned for the upcoming Halloween season. The day after the issuance of this guidance—and after many expressions of outrage from businesses and the public—LA County changed the wording to state that trick-or-treating or trunk-or-treating were “not recommended.” However, parties (even if held outdoors) and haunted houses remained banned. The content of the original statement is summarized in this HAN news blog.
The updated guidelines state, “Door to door trick-or-treating is not recommended because it can be very difficult to maintain proper social distancing on porches and at front doors, ensure that everyone answering or coming to the door is appropriately masked to prevent disease spread, and because sharing food is risky. Trunk or treating, where children go from car to car instead of door to door to receive treats is also not recommended, particularly when part of Halloween events, since it is difficult to avoid crowding and sharing food. Gatherings or parties with non-household members are not permitted even if they are conducted outdoors. Carnivals, festivals, live entertainment, and haunted house attractions are not allowed.”
