NEWS: Haunts Open to Record Crowds; Spooky Awards

Last weekend was the first full opening weekend for most Haunted Attractions Nationwide. While most haunts are reporting steady numbers, several have reported 'sold-out' nights. If this trend continues, it could mean an excellent year for the industry. Also this week: Spooky Awards Finalists & Fan Vote; New Howl-O-Scream College Ticket Offer; Stardust Racers Reopens at Epic Universe After Tragedy; "Urban Death Vegas" Premieres at Vegas Theatre Company; "Evil Dead in Concert" Comes to L.A.; Six Flags Debuts Original Horror Short, "Come Out and Play"; M&M's Rescue Squad Returns for 2025; HalloweenCostumes.com Releases Top-Selling and Most Searched Costumes So Far This Year. Read more here

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Coming up your weekly roundup of news from around the
haunt industry. Welcome to the show. I'm Philip on the
HN Show. We bring you the haunt news, information, and
education you need to prepare for Halloween. On Tuesdays, we
bring you a roundup of news from haunts worldwide. Read

(00:28):
more about these stories and so much more in our
free weekly newsletter. Subscribe at the link in the show notes,
and as always for the news roundup, I'm passing it
off to Darryl.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
The Hush Haunted Attraction in Westland, Michigan, has opened for
its twenty twenty five season to record attendance, marking what
is expected to be the attraction's biggest year since opening
in twenty thirteen. Now running select nights through November two,
Hush returns with an ambitious news storyline connecting all three
haunted houses, and expanded Marty themed scare zone, and every

(01:02):
fresh bar and food program that continues to set it
apart from other Halloween events in the Midwest. Hush has
always been about pushing the boundaries of what a haunted
attraction can be, said Cody Bailey, owner and creative director.
This season, we wanted to make every moment from the
first scare into the last sip, part of one immersive story.
The response so far has been incredible. For the first

(01:23):
time in Hush's history, all three Haunted attractions are united
under one continuous storyline. Guests begin their journey through Hotel Descent,
continue through Eternal Rest Cemetery, and conclude their nightmare inside
Rosecliff Hall. This link narrative heightens tensions and pacing, creating
a cinematic through line that builds towards an unforgettable finale.

(01:43):
The indoor midway has also been transformed to Rue de l'ombre,
a Marti Gras inspired nightmare street, filled with sliders, still performers,
and live characters who keep the energy and the scares
flowing between attractions. Hush continues to blend immersive entertainment with
elevated food and beverage experiences. Every bar across the property
will have all new cocktail menu for twenty twenty five

(02:06):
and new food options including Savory Hush Puppies and sweet Shuros.
Get into the spooky mood with themed drinks including Bayou
Boozy Apple, Electric Slime Punch, Plasma Surge, and more. The
Haunts third bar has been fully re themed to Frankie's
Freaky Fun Shack with an eighties monster mash vibe, and
now has interactive test tube shooter add ons for guests

(02:28):
looking to toast the season. Tickets for Hush Haunted Attraction
are on sale now starting at twenty seven ninety nine
for general admission, thirty nine ninety nine for fast passes,
and ten dollars for the VIP bar creep pass. Halloween
Costume Association announces Spooky Awards finalists. The Halloween in Costume
Association has announced the finalists for their second annual Spooky Awards.

(02:50):
The Spooky Awards on our innovative, imaginative and impactful products
in the Halloween industry, spanning categories of accessories, costumes, decor, makeup, tasks,
and most innovative. Each entry was evaluated by a panel
of industry experts on innovation, marketability, trend setting, potential appeal
and usefulness. The creativity and innovation showcased in this year's

(03:11):
entries are nothing short of extraordinary, said Michael Boylstein, hga's
executive director. These finalists not only capture the spirit of Halloween,
but also set the trends that will shape the season
for years to come. Winners will be revealed live at
the twenty twenty six Halloween and Party Expo in Las Vegas.
View the list of finalists by following the links in
our show notes. New for this year, the Spooky Awards

(03:34):
will debut a fan vote, giving everyone a chance to
select their own favorites to be crowned the fang Favorite.
Individuals may cast only one vote per person and just
one favorite per category through October fifteenth. The winner will
be announced on January thirteenth at the Halloween and Party Expo.
Bush Gardens Tampa Bay launches a new Hallow Scream college
ticket offer. Bush Gardens in Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida

(03:57):
has introduced a frighteningly fun Hallow Scream ticket offer exclusively
for college students for a limited time, Verified college students
can purchase a four pack of tickets ballid on Thursday
or Sundays for just thirty dollars per person. Student eligibility
will be verified through id dot me. Alloscream runs select
nights through November one. The event features five haunted houses,

(04:20):
six scare zones, four roaming hordes, to live shows, nine
themed bars, and more. Tickets are on sale now on
the event's official website. Stardust Racers reopens after a tragedy.
Universal has reopened Stardust Racers at Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida,
following a fatal incident on September seventeenth, and introduced new

(04:41):
signage and stricter accessibility requirements. The latest safety guide now
warns guest with weakened bones, limited mobility or difficulty maintaining
an upright position not to ride, and the must walk
independently clause now extends across multiple attractions. In this week's
episode of The Green Tag podcast, and Scott unpacked what
this means for operators who must balance guest safety, accessibility,

(05:05):
and legal liability. Should Universal have waited longer to reopen
or do the updated rules demonstrate responsible transparency? Plus Universal's
Vegas venue gets festive with Crampus and kin, a dark
holiday overlay for horror Unleashed Urban Death Vegas premiers at
Vegas Theater Company. The Las Vegas Horror Show, A creative

(05:25):
team behind Abandoned brings cult phenomenon Urban Death to Las Vegas,
Nevada this October, celebrating twenty years of Zombie Joe Underground's
Urban Death. This Las Vegas premier draws on the original
Urban Death canon along with new pieces that illuminate all
that is truly terrifying about life in Las Vegas. Delivered

(05:46):
in rapid fire, wordless vignettes and enhanced by an original
killer soundtrack and terrifying visual effects, Urban Death Vegas is
a truly unique theatrical experience for psychological terror, grotesque beauty,
and ag humor collide to create a horror production like
no other. Created by Dombie Joe and Jana Weimer, Urban

(06:07):
Death first shocked audiences in two thousand and five at
Zombie Joe's Underground Theater in La Work continues to perform
sold out houses and garner rave reviews. Weimer, now a
Las Vegas resident, will direct Urban Death Vegas, bringing her
twenty years of experience in the genre, a mashup of
Grand Guignol and grindhouse to create a production that will

(06:28):
satisfy Urban Death fans and introduce Las Vegas to her
twisted vision. I'm honored to once again work with vegas
incredible and diverse talent. I'm excited to introduce the beautiful
insanity of Urban Death to this magical City Urban Death
Vegas runs select nights now through November two. Tickets are
on sale now starting at thirty dollars for general admission

(06:48):
and forty five for VIP admission, which includes a complimentary
beviage front row seating and a discount on merchandise. Evil
Dead in Concert comes to LA with exclusive immersive home
horror experience. Following the US launch of Evil Dead in Concert,
TIL Events, Street Food Cinema, and Black Ink Presents have
released details of the exclusive three night Halloween weekend engagement

(07:12):
at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles, California, on
October thirtieth through November First. Audiences around the country will
see the cult horror classic The Evil Dead from nineteen
eighty one with Joseph Laeduca score performed live to film
by a seven piece orchestra ensemble. A special edition exclusive
to Los Angeles will see the addition of the seller,

(07:32):
an underground Evil Dead experience located beneath the historic Theater.
This experience will completely immerse fans within the terrifying world
of The Evil Dead, where they will encounter scare actors,
atmospheric sets, photo ops, full bars, and more, Social media
stars and filmmakers The Crows brothers, Jay and Gil Crows
will host the engagement, welcoming audience into the cellar and

(07:55):
sharing exclusive behind the scenes moments from the event of
their social channels. Tickets are on set now, starting in
forty five dollars for general admission and seventy five dollars
for VIP packages. For more information on the full US tour,
see the event's official website. Six Flags Debuts and original
horror short, Come Out and Play. On October first, Six

(08:15):
Flags released an original horror short on their YouTube channel,
Come Out and Play. In this short horror film, viewers
meet Smiley, a shadowy figure, in the hunt for a
new friend and a new face. Filmed inside six Flags Parks,
the film blends art house horror with spine tingling suspense
to immerse audiences in the atmosphere dread scares and surprises

(08:36):
that come alive nightly as part of the park's Halloween events.
You can watch the full short by following the links
in our show notes. Eminem's Rescue Squad returns for twenty
twenty five. This year, Halloween falls on a Friday for
the first time since twenty fourteen, which means more trick
or treaters, more Hello weekend celebrations, and more eminem Eminem's

(08:56):
Rescue Squad is returning for its third year to rescue
neighbors from MPE candy bowls with free candy refails on
Halloween nights. Eminem's Halloween Rescue Squad is delivering the Halloween
spirit to even more fans who are eager to have
fun celebrating with family, friends and Eminem's, says Tim Label,
President and sales at Chief Halloween Officer at Mars Wrigley,

(09:16):
North America. Nothing is scarier than an empty candy bowl
on Halloween night, but Eminem's has your back if you
run out, so you can keep the fun in celebrations going.
Starting at five pm Eastern daylight time on October thirty, first,
individuals can request an emergency candy refail on the official
M and M's Rescue Squad website to receive free candy

(09:38):
delivery within thirty to sixty minutes while supplies last available wherever.
Go Puff delivers the top selling and most search costumes
to watch for this Halloween. Halloween Costumes dot Com release
their top costume searches for the week. Kpop Demon Hunters Dinosaurs,
Star Wars, Ghostbusters, and Pokemon. The retailer has also seen

(09:59):
exciting year for your growth in several categories. Leelo and
Stitch is up one hundred and thirty percent, Wednesday Adams
up fifty four percent, Stranger Thinks up forty four percent,
Star Wars has increased thirty eight percent, while Nickelodeon has
increased thirty seven percent. Mowana has got a twenty seven
percent increase, with Superman up twenty percent and Minecraft up

(10:22):
nine point eight percent. This year from classics to viral hits,
these themes are sure to be popular choices for Halloween
twenty twenty five. Some upcoming events this October through December
of twenty twenty five include the Son of Monster Palooza
October tenth through twelfth and Burbank California Ayappa November seventeenth
through twentieth in Orlando, Florida, and Creep at Real Festive

(10:45):
November twenty first through twenty third in Santa Anna, California.

Speaker 3 (10:50):
And that's all for the news this week. Today's episode
was produced by me Philip Bernandez, with reporting by Daryl
Plunky post production by David Swolk. This news update is
a production of the Haunted Attraction Network, and you can
sign up to our weekly newsletter at Hanta Attractionnetwork dot com.
Support for this episode comes from Gantum Lighting and Controls.

(11:11):
Until next time, Haunters, stay scary. This is a Haunted
Attraction Network production.