August 14, 2025 • 11 mins
50,000 Halloween Fans will gather in Long Beach this weekend (Aug 15-17) for Midsummer Scream! Guests will experience 12+ mini-haunts, shop at 350+ vendors, and hear from local haunted attractions about this season. Also this week: Poltergeist Comes to Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood; Six Flags Reveals The Conjuring Premium Experience; Kennywood's Phantom Fall Fest Expands; Universal Horror Unleashed Opens August 14th; Spirit Halloween Releases new Branded Merchandise. Read more here.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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 Halloween and Horror Convention Midsummer Scream takes place this
weekend August fifteenth through seventeenth at the Long Beach Convention
Center in Long Beach, California. The event kicks off the
Halloween season with more than three hundred and fifty vendors
from around the world, horror Icon's Galore, and the return
of the Hall of Shadows. With over fifty thousand fans
(00:58):
expected to attend across the weekend, attendees can expect bone
chilling haunted attractions, eerie exhibitions, immersive experiences, and celebrity sightings
to die for. This is one of our most robust
lineups yet. Comment to David Markland, co founder and Executive
director of Midsummer Scream. From legendary film icons and groundbreaking
(01:19):
creators to immersive haunted attractions and family friendly fun, We've
pulled out all the stops to make this the biggest,
boldest Midsummer Scream ever. It's truly a celebration of the
entire Halloween and horror community. Details, programming, updates, and schedules
can be found at the official Midsummer Scream app, available
on all major mobile platforms. Highlights this year include presentations
(01:42):
from Halloween Horror Nights, not Scary Farm, Queen Mary's Dark Harbor,
Six Flags, Magic Mountain, Frightfast Castle Dark, and dozens more
across five stages. Thirteenth Floor Entertainment will be featured with
several displays on exhibit, as well as a major presentation
on Saturday discussing events La Haunted Hay Ride, Magic of
(02:02):
the Jack, O Lanterns, Delusion, and their brand new festival
Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House. The Party from Beyond
on Saturday Night features a special advance screening of Jester II,
a dance party, five hundred dollars costume contest, photo ops,
and performances from Anthony's Zionis Tales of the Ancient East,
taking on the dark, sinister theme of the Carnival Do Diabla,
(02:25):
which translates to the Devil's Carnival. Midsummer's Scream. Hall of
Shadows will have eighteen attractions and displays from professional and
home haunters alike across nearly two indoor acres of darkness.
The infamous medieval clown Mister Floats and his Minion will
welcome guests into the darkness through a fog shrouded haunted
forest and forbidding carnival before releasing them to the rest
(02:47):
of the Hall. Brave exciting experiences by Straight to Hale,
Rall of the Dead, Clowns Versus Skeletons, cal Haunt Ass,
Thirteenth Floor Entertainment groups, Magic of the Jacko Lanterns, Haunt
With No Name Yet, Fear Farm, Haunted car Wash, Realm
of Shadow, The Pizza Planet Truck and Arts Sideshow Collectibles,
(03:08):
a Haunted Harvest Eulogy Collective formerly Santa Anahunt, Lights Out,
and h and L's Realm of Horror. Lions Gate is
also returning with this year's lions Gates Gears of Fear
II Stranger Danger, a sequel to their twenty twenty four
debut Maze. Additionally, the Decayed Brigade will be back with
(03:29):
a brand new high energy sliding and stunt exhibition delivering
powerhouse chills and thrills. Guest ages twenty one and older
can imbibe spooky creations at the Smash Pumpkin, an eerie
themed bar. The Hall of Shadows is included in Midsummer
Scream admission, with gold Bat VIP ticket holders receiving priority
access to most attractions. Saturday admission is currently sold out,
(03:51):
but Friday, Sunday and weekend passes are available. Single day
passes start at forty dollars for adult mission, one ninety
nine for three day VIP. The gold Bat Passes. Children
ten and under receive free general admission with an accompanying
adult Bloomhouse and Poltergeist come to HHN Hollywood this year.
Even more torturous debauchery is coming to Halloween Horror Nights
(04:14):
at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal City, California with Poultergeist,
fan favorite Terror Tram Enter, the Blumhouse, and the Purge
Dangerous Waters fire fueled stunt show, along with four sinister
scare zones. Rounding out the twenty twenty five popular event,
Amazon MGM Studio supernatural cult horror classic Poultergeist will transport
(04:36):
guests into a nightmarish scenes with terrifying characters from the movie,
including the iconic Freeling family home located in the historic
Universal Backlot. Terror Tram enter the Blumhouse will enable visitors
to disembark the studio tour tram and set off on
foot to encounter some of the most iconic villains from
Blumhouse's popular horror franchises over the past fifteen years, includ
(05:00):
being the Grabber from The Black Phone, the Possessed from
The Exorcist, Believer, the Diabolical Megan, the Ruthless Killers from
the Purge franchise, Blissfield, Butcher from Freaky and Babyface Killer
from Happy Death Day, among others. The Purge Dangerous Waters
Stunt Show returns to the water World venue, taking guests
on a fiery rocket fueled adventure while they fight to
(05:22):
survive the night. Completing this year's lineup, horror fans will
encounter for petrifying scare zones throughout the event. Shainsaw Clowns,
Carnival of Carnage No j D Brujas and The Murder
of Crows HHN Hollywood runs select date September fourth through
November two. Learn more via our comprehensive guide by following
(05:42):
the links in our show notes. The Conjuring Premium Experience
coming to select six Flags parks. The new Upcharge horror
experience themed The Conjuring, is coming to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio,
Canada's Wonderland in Ontario, Canada, King's Island in Mason, Ohio,
and Carrow Wins in Charlotte, North Carolina this fall. The
(06:03):
Conjuring Beyond Fear will take guests through iconic scenes from
the Conjuring Universe to lock away cursed artifacts before supernatural
chaos is unleashed. This extends six flags relationship with Warner Brothers,
which licenses DC comics and Looney Tunes to the parks. However,
the new Upcharge experience is only coming to the legacy
Cedar Fair parks. The new experience comes in the wake
(06:25):
of six Flags announcing the cancelation of certain Halloween and
Christmas events in its other parks. More information about the
experience is set to be released by six Flags on
August eleventh, but not in time for this show production.
Kenny Wood's Phantom fall Fest expands. Phantom Fallfest is returning
to Kennywood in West Miffland, Pennsylvania for its longest season
(06:46):
yet select nights September twile through November one. Guests will
experience six haunts, four scare zones, expanded horror themed entertainment,
and more. New for twenty twenty five is Detached, a
haunt that takes guests to the disturbing world of the
puppet Master who is hand picking parts for his puppets
from the brave souls who enter his toy shop. Deranged
(07:06):
dolls and dismembered creations will stock guests at every turn.
We are taking terror to a whole new level in
twenty twenty five as we debut our newest and most
horrifying haunt ever during Phantom Fallfest, Detached, said Kennywood General
manager Ricky Specusa. With the longest event run in Kennywood
history and the debut of Detached, we're delivering next level
(07:27):
horror and thrills you won't find anywhere else in Pittsburgh.
Learn more and purchase your tickets at the event's official website.
Universal Horror Unleashed opens this week. Universal Horror Unleashed in
Las Vegas, Nevada, opens this week Thursday, August fourteenth. The
one hundred thousand square foot year round attraction in the
Area fifteen complex will feature four haunted houses, including Universal Monsters, Blumhouses,
(07:50):
The Exorcist, Believer, Texas Chainsaw, Massacre, and Scarecrow. They're reaping
alongside themed bars, food, and exclusive retail. Take a sneak
peek at the elaborate sie and decors by following the
links in our show notes. Stay tuned in the coming days,
as the Haunted Attraction Network will be covering the opening festivities.
Slashback Video returns in Slasher World. Kiko Bailey has announced
(08:12):
the return of the horror VHS art installations slash Back
Video as part of Slasher World, Bailey's new business on
Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. I've added a lot
of new rarities to the Slashback collection, said Bailey in
an Instagram post announcing the grand opening. I'm also featuring
an amazing VHS group art show with nearly thirty artists.
(08:34):
Slashback Video first appeared in twenty seventeen as a collaboration
between Bailey and the Mystic Museum. The exhibit resembled a
vintage video rental shop and featured hundreds of original VHS tapes,
promo materials, and posters from notable horror. Two more installments
debuted at the Misting Museum in twenty eighteen and twenty twenty.
After the pandemic, Flashback Video moved to a permanent location
(08:56):
down the street from the original, where it remained until
August twenty twenty two. Now no longer affiliated with the
Mystic Museum, the installation will return and a grand opening
on August thirtieth from eight pm to midnight. Tickets will
be ten dollars at the door, with partial proceeds benefiting
a Los Angeles based anti bullying charity. The events will
include complimentary drinks and baked goods from Deadly Sweet. Food
(09:19):
may also be purchased from the Frankenstan. Spirit Helloween is
releasing branded merchandise. Spirit Helloween is leaning into their fan
base by creating their own intellectual property. The Halloween retailer
is now offering a variety of Spirit branded merchandise featuring
their iconic skeleton mascot Jack. The Reaper hands can now
populate their spooky displays with his life sized seven and
(09:42):
a half foot Jack the Reaper Animatronic for three hundred
and twenty nine nine to nine, featuring glowing Ledi's motion
tracking sensor technology and pre recorded sayings, The Jack the
Reaper hanging prop for fifty four nine to nine, and
the towering twelve foot light up Jack the Reaper Archway
Inflatable for one twenty nine ninety nine. Children can dress
up as their favorite Halloween store mascot with Kids Jack
(10:05):
the Reaper costume for forty four ninety nine. Spirit has
also released collectible items, including a seven inch mini Jack
the Reaper statue for thirty nine ninety nine, Spirit Elector's Edition,
Jenga for thirty four ninety nine, and a retro nes
video game Haunted helloween eighty six Spirit Edition p. Fifty
nine ninety nine. Spirit Halloween Stores are now opening across
(10:27):
the country. Find your nearest stores by following the links
in our show notes them. Upcoming events August through October
of twenty twenty five include Midsummer's Scream in Long Beach, California,
August fifteenth through seventeen, Crebit Real oc in Santa Ana, California,
September twelfth through fourteen, and Son of Monster Palooza in Birdbank, California,
October tenth through twelve.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
And that's all for the news this week.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Today's episode was produced by me Philip Fernandez, with reporting
by Darryl Plunky post production by David Swop.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
This hont News Update is.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
A production of the Haunted Attraction Network and you can
sign up to our weekly newsletter at Hantattractionnetwork dot com.
Support for this episode comes from Gantam Lighting and Controls.
Until next time, Haunters Stay Scary. This is a Haunted
Attraction Network production.
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 Halloween and Horror Convention Midsummer Scream takes place this
weekend August fifteenth through seventeenth at the Long Beach Convention
Center in Long Beach, California. The event kicks off the
Halloween season with more than three hundred and fifty vendors
from around the world, horror Icon's Galore, and the return
of the Hall of Shadows. With over fifty thousand fans
(00:58):
expected to attend across the weekend, attendees can expect bone
chilling haunted attractions, eerie exhibitions, immersive experiences, and celebrity sightings
to die for. This is one of our most robust
lineups yet. Comment to David Markland, co founder and Executive
director of Midsummer Scream. From legendary film icons and groundbreaking
(01:19):
creators to immersive haunted attractions and family friendly fun, We've
pulled out all the stops to make this the biggest,
boldest Midsummer Scream ever. It's truly a celebration of the
entire Halloween and horror community. Details, programming, updates, and schedules
can be found at the official Midsummer Scream app, available
on all major mobile platforms. Highlights this year include presentations
(01:42):
from Halloween Horror Nights, not Scary Farm, Queen Mary's Dark Harbor,
Six Flags, Magic Mountain, Frightfast Castle Dark, and dozens more
across five stages. Thirteenth Floor Entertainment will be featured with
several displays on exhibit, as well as a major presentation
on Saturday discussing events La Haunted Hay Ride, Magic of
(02:02):
the Jack, O Lanterns, Delusion, and their brand new festival
Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House. The Party from Beyond
on Saturday Night features a special advance screening of Jester II,
a dance party, five hundred dollars costume contest, photo ops,
and performances from Anthony's Zionis Tales of the Ancient East,
taking on the dark, sinister theme of the Carnival Do Diabla,
(02:25):
which translates to the Devil's Carnival. Midsummer's Scream. Hall of
Shadows will have eighteen attractions and displays from professional and
home haunters alike across nearly two indoor acres of darkness.
The infamous medieval clown Mister Floats and his Minion will
welcome guests into the darkness through a fog shrouded haunted
forest and forbidding carnival before releasing them to the rest
(02:47):
of the Hall. Brave exciting experiences by Straight to Hale,
Rall of the Dead, Clowns Versus Skeletons, cal Haunt Ass,
Thirteenth Floor Entertainment groups, Magic of the Jacko Lanterns, Haunt
With No Name Yet, Fear Farm, Haunted car Wash, Realm
of Shadow, The Pizza Planet Truck and Arts Sideshow Collectibles,
(03:08):
a Haunted Harvest Eulogy Collective formerly Santa Anahunt, Lights Out,
and h and L's Realm of Horror. Lions Gate is
also returning with this year's lions Gates Gears of Fear
II Stranger Danger, a sequel to their twenty twenty four
debut Maze. Additionally, the Decayed Brigade will be back with
(03:29):
a brand new high energy sliding and stunt exhibition delivering
powerhouse chills and thrills. Guest ages twenty one and older
can imbibe spooky creations at the Smash Pumpkin, an eerie
themed bar. The Hall of Shadows is included in Midsummer
Scream admission, with gold Bat VIP ticket holders receiving priority
access to most attractions. Saturday admission is currently sold out,
(03:51):
but Friday, Sunday and weekend passes are available. Single day
passes start at forty dollars for adult mission, one ninety
nine for three day VIP. The gold Bat Passes. Children
ten and under receive free general admission with an accompanying
adult Bloomhouse and Poltergeist come to HHN Hollywood this year.
Even more torturous debauchery is coming to Halloween Horror Nights
(04:14):
at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal City, California with Poultergeist,
fan favorite Terror Tram Enter, the Blumhouse, and the Purge
Dangerous Waters fire fueled stunt show, along with four sinister
scare zones. Rounding out the twenty twenty five popular event,
Amazon MGM Studio supernatural cult horror classic Poultergeist will transport
(04:36):
guests into a nightmarish scenes with terrifying characters from the movie,
including the iconic Freeling family home located in the historic
Universal Backlot. Terror Tram enter the Blumhouse will enable visitors
to disembark the studio tour tram and set off on
foot to encounter some of the most iconic villains from
Blumhouse's popular horror franchises over the past fifteen years, includ
(05:00):
being the Grabber from The Black Phone, the Possessed from
The Exorcist, Believer, the Diabolical Megan, the Ruthless Killers from
the Purge franchise, Blissfield, Butcher from Freaky and Babyface Killer
from Happy Death Day, among others. The Purge Dangerous Waters
Stunt Show returns to the water World venue, taking guests
on a fiery rocket fueled adventure while they fight to
(05:22):
survive the night. Completing this year's lineup, horror fans will
encounter for petrifying scare zones throughout the event. Shainsaw Clowns,
Carnival of Carnage No j D Brujas and The Murder
of Crows HHN Hollywood runs select date September fourth through
November two. Learn more via our comprehensive guide by following
(05:42):
the links in our show notes. The Conjuring Premium Experience
coming to select six Flags parks. The new Upcharge horror
experience themed The Conjuring, is coming to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio,
Canada's Wonderland in Ontario, Canada, King's Island in Mason, Ohio,
and Carrow Wins in Charlotte, North Carolina this fall. The
(06:03):
Conjuring Beyond Fear will take guests through iconic scenes from
the Conjuring Universe to lock away cursed artifacts before supernatural
chaos is unleashed. This extends six flags relationship with Warner Brothers,
which licenses DC comics and Looney Tunes to the parks. However,
the new Upcharge experience is only coming to the legacy
Cedar Fair parks. The new experience comes in the wake
(06:25):
of six Flags announcing the cancelation of certain Halloween and
Christmas events in its other parks. More information about the
experience is set to be released by six Flags on
August eleventh, but not in time for this show production.
Kenny Wood's Phantom fall Fest expands. Phantom Fallfest is returning
to Kennywood in West Miffland, Pennsylvania for its longest season
(06:46):
yet select nights September twile through November one. Guests will
experience six haunts, four scare zones, expanded horror themed entertainment,
and more. New for twenty twenty five is Detached, a
haunt that takes guests to the disturbing world of the
puppet Master who is hand picking parts for his puppets
from the brave souls who enter his toy shop. Deranged
(07:06):
dolls and dismembered creations will stock guests at every turn.
We are taking terror to a whole new level in
twenty twenty five as we debut our newest and most
horrifying haunt ever during Phantom Fallfest, Detached, said Kennywood General
manager Ricky Specusa. With the longest event run in Kennywood
history and the debut of Detached, we're delivering next level
(07:27):
horror and thrills you won't find anywhere else in Pittsburgh.
Learn more and purchase your tickets at the event's official website.
Universal Horror Unleashed opens this week. Universal Horror Unleashed in
Las Vegas, Nevada, opens this week Thursday, August fourteenth. The
one hundred thousand square foot year round attraction in the
Area fifteen complex will feature four haunted houses, including Universal Monsters, Blumhouses,
(07:50):
The Exorcist, Believer, Texas Chainsaw, Massacre, and Scarecrow. They're reaping
alongside themed bars, food, and exclusive retail. Take a sneak
peek at the elaborate sie and decors by following the
links in our show notes. Stay tuned in the coming days,
as the Haunted Attraction Network will be covering the opening festivities.
Slashback Video returns in Slasher World. Kiko Bailey has announced
(08:12):
the return of the horror VHS art installations slash Back
Video as part of Slasher World, Bailey's new business on
Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California. I've added a lot
of new rarities to the Slashback collection, said Bailey in
an Instagram post announcing the grand opening. I'm also featuring
an amazing VHS group art show with nearly thirty artists.
(08:34):
Slashback Video first appeared in twenty seventeen as a collaboration
between Bailey and the Mystic Museum. The exhibit resembled a
vintage video rental shop and featured hundreds of original VHS tapes,
promo materials, and posters from notable horror. Two more installments
debuted at the Misting Museum in twenty eighteen and twenty twenty.
After the pandemic, Flashback Video moved to a permanent location
(08:56):
down the street from the original, where it remained until
August twenty twenty two. Now no longer affiliated with the
Mystic Museum, the installation will return and a grand opening
on August thirtieth from eight pm to midnight. Tickets will
be ten dollars at the door, with partial proceeds benefiting
a Los Angeles based anti bullying charity. The events will
include complimentary drinks and baked goods from Deadly Sweet. Food
(09:19):
may also be purchased from the Frankenstan. Spirit Helloween is
releasing branded merchandise. Spirit Helloween is leaning into their fan
base by creating their own intellectual property. The Halloween retailer
is now offering a variety of Spirit branded merchandise featuring
their iconic skeleton mascot Jack. The Reaper hands can now
populate their spooky displays with his life sized seven and
(09:42):
a half foot Jack the Reaper Animatronic for three hundred
and twenty nine nine to nine, featuring glowing Ledi's motion
tracking sensor technology and pre recorded sayings, The Jack the
Reaper hanging prop for fifty four nine to nine, and
the towering twelve foot light up Jack the Reaper Archway
Inflatable for one twenty nine ninety nine. Children can dress
up as their favorite Halloween store mascot with Kids Jack
(10:05):
the Reaper costume for forty four ninety nine. Spirit has
also released collectible items, including a seven inch mini Jack
the Reaper statue for thirty nine ninety nine, Spirit Elector's Edition,
Jenga for thirty four ninety nine, and a retro nes
video game Haunted helloween eighty six Spirit Edition p. Fifty
nine ninety nine. Spirit Halloween Stores are now opening across
(10:27):
the country. Find your nearest stores by following the links
in our show notes them. Upcoming events August through October
of twenty twenty five include Midsummer's Scream in Long Beach, California,
August fifteenth through seventeen, Crebit Real oc in Santa Ana, California,
September twelfth through fourteen, and Son of Monster Palooza in Birdbank, California,
October tenth through twelve.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
And that's all for the news this week.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Today's episode was produced by me Philip Fernandez, with reporting
by Darryl Plunky post production by David Swop.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
This hont News Update is.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
A production of the Haunted Attraction Network and you can
sign up to our weekly newsletter at Hantattractionnetwork dot com.
Support for this episode comes from Gantam Lighting and Controls.
Until next time, Haunters Stay Scary. This is a Haunted
Attraction Network production.
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