Midsummer Scream 2020 Spooks Up Presale Tickets This Friday

It's baaaaaaaack...the legendary Midsummer Scream Halloween and Horror Convention returns to Long Beach this summer for three whole spooktacular days Friday, July 31st through Sunday, August 2nd, 2020. Pre-sale tickets will be available starting Friday, March 6th and you won't want to miss the killer deals on passes. Check out more info, including this year's theme, special guest announcements, macabre marketplace vendors, eerie entertainment, and so much more, in the official press release below:

Scared to Death: The Thrill of Horror Film Exhibit

This past weekend I was lucky enough to check out Scared to Death, a horror exhibit at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington. This installation at MoPop features over 50 props and costumes from horror shows and movies like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Walking Dead, The Shining, Pet Sematary, Frankenstein, Hostel, Blair Witch, and many more. I was so incredibly excited to get to see this exhibit, and it didn't disappoint! I got to geek out over the props and costumes from some of my favorite horror films, watch video clips of well-known creators talk about notable horror films, and immerse myself in the delightfully macabre atmosphere of the exhibit.

So, you start the exhibit (which is tucked into the back corners of the Museum of Pop Culture), by descending down a staircase bathed in red, wallpapered with faces of people screaming. You enter into the exhibit and are immediately met with a body-bag maze to your right and a zombie quarantine zone to your left. Around every corner you may come face-to-face with a xenomorph, or Jason, or a bloody severed head, or a nook to sit down and watch short interviews with notable horror creators discussing the influence of specific films. You can enter into a cathedral dripping with blood highlighting vampire lore and props, holler your heart out in the sound-proofed Scream Box (which will take a photo of you as you scream), and of course take advantage of the interactive photo-ops.

Take a virtual walk through of the Scared to Death horror exhibit below:

All-New LA Haunted Hayride To Be Unveiled at Midsummer Scream

Photo Credit: Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group

Today Midsummer Scream announced a new panel presentation from LA's Haunted Hayride, which is under new management and will be re-imagined into a new experience under the creative direction of Jon Cooke this upcoming Halloween season.

Read more about it in the official press release below:

Midsummer Scream to Showcase California’s Spookiest + Strangest Themed Bars

LONG BEACH, CA - If you’re a fan of spirits - the kind that come crafted in a glass - you’re in for a serious treat! Midsummer Scream, the world’s largest Halloween and horror fan convention, will host a panel presentation featuring the most sinister bars and breweries on the West Coast!

Drklght Clothing "Disney Goth" Pop-Up Shop

Drklght Clothing makes rad Disney Goth clothing (along with wrestling, horror, goth, LGBTQ, straight edge, workout, and more clothing) and this Saturday they are hosting a pop-up shop in Anaheim, California, home of Disneyland, right before Bat's Day!

They will be selling t-shirts, spirit jerseys, candles, pins, and more and are offering a free "Death Certificate" to the first 25 customers. This pop-up will be held at The Doll Hut at 107 S. Adams Street in Anaheim, California from noon to 4 PM this Saturday, May 4th, 2019.

I have the Disney Goth tee and I love it so much!! It is perfect to wear to the parks and turn some heads, and especially fun to wear on Bat's Day, which is this Sunday, May 5th and is a gathering of spooky fiends who love Disneyland!

If you can't make this pop up, you can buy Drklght Clothing on their website, www.drklght.com!

Stay spooky!

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man Maze Coming to Halloween Horror Nights 2019

Universal Studios announced another maze for their Halloween Horror Nights events in Hollywood and Orlando, bringing back their iconic Universal Monsters! Hollywood will see a showdown in the new "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" maze, while Orlando will see all of the classic monsters come to life.

I am really excited to hear that Halloween Horror Nights is doing these two Universal Monsters-themed mazes! I am stoked that I'll get to experience Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood! Check out more details on these two mazes from the official press release below:

Celebrated Creators of Immersive Entertainment To Come Together at Midsummer Scream

More amazing news coming out of the upcoming Midsummer Scream, as they announced today that one of their presentations will feature leaders in the immersive entertainment industry, including Jon Braver of Delusion, Bonnie Hallman of Queen Mary's Dark Harbor and WB's Horror Made Here, Justin Fix of Creep LA and The Willows, director Darren Lynn Bousman who also created The Tension Experience, and many more!

I love hearing stories of the creators behind these immersive events, so I am very much looking forward to this panel. More info is included in the official press release below:

Spook Show "Halloween in Spring" Giveaway

UPDATE: CONTEST CLOSED! Winner announced on original Instagram post OR via email.

I am truly spoiled here with Halloween and horror events here in SoCal, from Midsummer Scream to seasonal exhibits at the Mystic Museum to Halloween in spring at Spook Show, which was held this past weekend at Halloween Club. It was an amazing event and I wish everyone could attend! Since everyone can't make it all the way out to SoCal for this event, I wanted to give back to our Halloween and horror community by holding a contest to win some goodies from the event. It is my turn to spoil you! Read on how to enter this giveaway...

The Seventh Annual Spook Show Halloween Festival

Ghouls and boils, this past Saturday I attended one of my favorite spooky spring-time events, Spook Show! This Halloween festival gathers some incredible vendors, entertainers, and Halloween-lovers together to celebrate Halloween in spring at the Halloween Club located in La Mirada, California. It definitely gives the spooky kids something to look forward to in springtime, when most eerie events are few and far between. Want a peek at my past years' coverage? Check it out past Halloween Club Spook Shows from 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015!

This year was their biggest event yet, with so many new and amazing vendors, plus performances from musical acts as well as other performers and presentations. In addition to all the vendors offering horror and Halloween-themed items, the Halloween Club itself had a massive warehouse sale with hugely discounted props, decor, and more!

I had such a blast at this year's Spook Show 7 - I got to see so many fiendish friends, meet so many ghastly ghouls and boils, and of course shop 'til I dropped! I also partnered with some rad vendors and will be hosting a giveaway this week over on my Instagram, so stay tuned over there for details on how you can win a prize pack from Spook Show!

And now, for some photos from the event:

Sneak Peek of the I Like Scary Movies Interactive Experience

Want a chance to live in your favorite horror movies like The Shining, Nightmare on Elm Street, Beetlejuice, IT, and The Lost Boys? If you're in LA, you are in luck, as the new art installation called I Like Scary Movies, opens tomorrow, Thursday, April 4th! This time, the horror fans get their very own selfie museum, complete with recreations of some of your favorite scenes, characters, and set pieces from iconic horror films. Take a tunnel down to the sewers to float with Pennywise from IT: Chapter One, get trapped in the Overlook Hotel from The Shining, go down to the boiler room from Nightmare on Elm Street to sit on Freddy's throne and flee with his larger than life glove, head to the Murder Capital of the World to hang in the lair of The Lost Boys, and brush up on your Handbook for the Recently Deceased in the afterlife waiting room of Beetlejuice!

I was invited to get a sneak peek of this exhibit last night and couldn't wait to share my photos with you here as well as my general impressions of the experience. My hope is that it will give you a taste of what to expect from this fun experience, or, if you are unable to attend, hopefully you can live a bit vicariously through these photographs. I'll walk you through the exhibit below:

Halloween Horror Nights Announces Return of Stranger Things Maze

The first official maze announcement for Halloween Horror Nights 2019 has dropped and I'm ecstatic to report it will be a continuation of the Stranger Things maze from last year! Last year the maze took us through season one of the Netflix series, and it was so detailed and fun to walk through! This year, the maze will cover seasons two and three, so I'm excited for a whole new maze experience! Check out the teaser video plus more details from the official press release below:

Plant Fest at Tanaka Farms - Spring 2019 Edition this Sunday

One of my favorite events is Plant Fest, held a few times a year at Tanaka Farms. It is a wonderful gathering of vegan food and product vendors, plus cooking demos, yoga, farm tours, games and crafts for the kiddos, and such a fun vibe! I love going and shopping all the vendors, grabbing some great food, watching some cooking demos and just hanging out with good friends.

I'm thrilled that Plant Fest is returning on Sunday, March 31st from 10 AM to 4 PM. There is plenty of free parking and it is a real treat to spend the day on a working farm right in Orange County! Admission to the farm is $4 and allows you access to wander the farm and attend Plant Fest. Plus, a portion of all sales will be donated to an animal sanctuary that will be chosen by the vendors. Check out the incredible vendors below!

Halloween Club Reveals Full Lineup for Spook Show

Halloween Club's Spook Show is only two weeks away, and I am so excited to have a day dedicated to all things Halloween in spring! The Halloween Club, a huge Halloween store that is open year-round, has been hosting Spook Show for seven ghoulish years. I always have such a blast at this gathering of ghouls, shopping spooky vendors, taking advantage of Halloween Club's massive sale, and enjoying the undead entertainment.

Halloween Club released their full lineup of vendors, entertainment, and special guests for their seventh annual Spook Show, and it looks to be the biggest and best one yet! Check out the schedule of events for entertainment, the vendor list, and the special guests and presentations they have planned for Saturday, April 6th below:

Vegan Street Fair 2019 This Weekend!

Get your stretchy pants out, because Vegan Street Fair is returning this weekend to North Hollywood with over 150 vendors serving up delicious vegan food and fun vegan products! Join thousands of other vegan and veg-curious foodies this Saturday, March 23rd AND Sunday, March 24th, 2019 to grub down on delicious vegan food and take home some cool vegan products. You'll find both local favorites and exciting new vendors from out of town to try, all located on the streets of NoHo. More info below...

Halloween Club's Spook Show Just 1 Month Away!

For the past few years, horror and Halloween enthusiasts near and far have traveled to meet where all kindred spirits converge, at the "Spook Show", an annual event conjured up by the Halloween Club in La Mirada, California. This is one of my favorite springtime events, especially since we get to celebrate Halloween in April! It's full of incredible vendors, killer deals, costumed attendees, Halloween-themed musical acts and performers, and so much fun! If you want to see some of the fearsome fun I've had there in past years, check out the posts from 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015!

More info on this year's event, coming up next month, below:

Midsummer Scream 2019 Tickets Available Now!

Eeeeek, are you getting excited for Midsummer Scream 2019 yet?! Only 5 months to go until we get to kick off the Halloween season with an even bigger and better convention filled with presentations, special guests, vendors, and haunts! And now you can grab tickets for Midsummer Scream as they went on sale today...check out the official press release below for more info:

6 Spooky Spring Events in SoCal Horror + Halloween Fans Don't Want to Miss

If you have the Halloween blues like I do, you'll be glad to know that this spring promises six spooky events in Southern California for horror and Halloween fans! From a haunted house to oddities and curiosities shows to a horror art installation to a Halloween event to a horror convention, there are plenty of things for fans of the macabre to enjoy this spring while we count down the days to Halloween!

Check out six spooky spring events in Southern California you don't want to miss below:

New Details + Trailer Revealed for Interactive Play "Delusion: The Blue Blade" Returning This Spring

Delusion has been one of my favorite Halloween traditions the past few years - it is an interactive play that changes every year, complete with new plot, new characters, and new locations - you get to play a part and physically move through gorgeously decorated sets and interact with the characters in the story. To get a peek at what the experience is like, check out my review of their 2016 show, His Crimson Queen! The show is always a popular draw and sells out super fast, though they took a break in 2017 to focus on their future plans. This past year they returned with The Blue Blade, which has been extended into spring 2018 with a brand new "director's cut"! Check out more info, as well as a new trailer, for this spring extension of the play below:

Seasons Screamings Dark Holiday Market

Kick off the holiday season with some dark holiday shopping at Season's Screamings, a one-day only pop-up market presented by Midsummer Scream and Sweet! Hollywood, featuring lots of incredible vendors selling unique gifts, a special appearance by Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira!), Krampus photo-ops, and much more! The event will be held at Sweet! Hollywood at the Hollywood and Highland Shopping Center in Hollywood, California and promises to be a killer event where you can pick up ghoulish gifts for all those on your Creepmas list.

See more details on the event below:

Boney Island Halloween Display

In case you are not familiar with Boney Island, it was a home haunt located in a residential neighborhood in Los Angeles that brought wonder and joy Halloween fans of all ages with its mechanical skeletons and spooky displays. After almost two decades of spreading the spooky spirit and creating a community celebration, the home haunt had to unfortunately shut down due to staggering "safety" fees the city was demanding for traffic and crowd control.

This year, the haunt has been resurrected in Griffith Park right next to the Ghost Train attraction. Former Simpsons producer Rick Polizzi originally built Boney Island for his kids and neighborhood children and through the years it evolved into a massive attraction that drew thousands seeking some Halloween magic. In its new home in Griffith Park, it has more room to spread out and allow fun-loving Halloween fans a chance to enjoy its whimsy.

I never had a chance to visit its old location at Polizzi's residence, so I was heartbroken when I heard it was forced to close. However, when the attraction found a new home at Griffith Park (a Halloween miracle!), I was absolutely delighted that I would finally be able to experience Boney Island. I was given complimentary tickets to visit and share my thoughts on this Halloween attraction. Keep reading below for photos and my review of this Halloween display!