There is a new Halloween Festival in town, Midsummer Scream, presented by Creepy LA and Theme Park Adventure. This weekend, Long Beach Convention Center features more than 100,000 square feet of vendors, makeup demonstrations, stage presentations, home haunt classes, a scavenger hunt, a screening room, a haunted art gallery, haunted attraction experiences, kids activities and more.
You can anticipate presentations and panels on topics like Horror Escape Rooms, Haunted Attraction designs, Ghost Towns, Halloween in Pop Culture, Krampus, the Winchester House, Haunted Bars of SoCal, and American Horror Story: Hotel. There will also be presentations by LA’s favorite haunted attractions like Queen Mary Dark Harbor, Six Flag Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest, Knott’s Scary Farm, and Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.
Hosting the panels and making special appearances are world-class prop and scenic designers, makeup effects artists, popular entertainers, and celebrities like Al Ridenour, Bela Lugosi Jr., Bill Mosely, Alexander Ward from “American Horror Story” and – Oh my God! Is that David Naughton from my all-time favorite horror movie, “An American Werewolf in London!!!???” Swoon.
But this fest isn’t all talk. Have the bejesus scared out of you by immersive experiences like walk thru mazes, virtual reality haunts, and escape rooms. A few examples are a slider demo by Decayed Brigade, Gorlesque Haunted Burlesque, Scareventures Sea of Terror and The Hall of Shadows with “Roaming monsters, entertainment, 9 terrifying mini haunted attractions and one horrific scarezonesquare-feet.” You can also experience the terror of being buried alive or trapped in an asylum.
Saturday night you can enjoy a special 18-and-over Noche de los Muertos dance party featuring the Oingo Boingo Dance Party (comprised of members of Oingo Boingo) plus the Best and Worst of the 80s Costume Contest. The event is ticketed separately at $30 a person. Party guests must have a valid government issued ID. You can also purchase a special meet & greet experience.
July 30 & 31, 2016 11am-7pm Saturday ($30) 11am-6pm Sunday ($25). Weekend admission is $45 and special front-of-the-line privileges for all attractions is $50 each day or $75 for the weekend. Kids aged 12 and under get in free when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
