NEWS: 95 Valentine Haunts Opening; Ed Roberts Passes

0:07 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 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. The twenty twenty five Valentine Haunts season shows significant growth, with ninety five attractions across thirty one states, demonstrating the holiday's increasing importance to the haunt industry calendar. While the South remains the dominant region with fifty one point one percent of all haunts, there's a notable expansion in the Northeast with fourteen point nine percent, and it continued strong presence in the Midwest at twenty one point three. Traditional Friday and Saturday operations remained most common, but there's substantial growth in three day Valentine's weekend events fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth, particularly among larger operations like Thirteenth Floor and other national chains.

1:19 The season spans from early February through the twenty second. Texas has emerged as the particular hot spot with eleven haunts, while major markets like New York and Michigan show increased participation. This expanded roster includes a mix of major commercial attractions, regional operators, and independent haunts, suggesting Valentine's Haunted houses have evolved from a niche offering to a mainstream addition to the haunt industry's calendar, a little bit of data analysis includes the most common dates are February fourteenth and fifteenth, traditional Valentine's weekend, a growing trend of three day Valentine's weekends fourteenth through the sixtieth this year. The longest run is Spooky Acres, which is six days across two weekends.

2:06 The earliest start is February seventh, with multiple locations. Latest end is February twenty second with deceased farm and Scream Depot. About nineteen percent of the haunts are only open a single night, and about twelve percent of haunts extended or multiple weekend operations. The following sixteen haunts are opened this weekend February seventh and eighth include Hell Billy, Hollow and Vincent, Alabama. The Haunt at at Tescadero and at Tuscadero, California, which is also open on the fourteenth and fifteenth, The Basement of the Dead in Aurora, Illinois. Factory of Fear in Moline, Illinois, Terror Manor and roanoak Virginia, which is also open on the fourteenth and fifteenth. February seventh through ninth is Spooky Acres Haunted House in Norfolk, Virginia, which has also opened the fourteenth through the sixteenth. Opening on February eighth only include Sweet Dreams Haunted Attraction in Mobile, Alabama, Wentz Brothers Festival of Fears in Fort Walton Beach, Paranoia Haunted House in Canton, Georgia, Screams Haunted Experience in Hoboken, Georgia, which is also open on the fifteenth, the thirteenth, Hour Haunted House in Wharton, New Jersey, Holler and Haunts Hayride in Clinton, North Carolina, Pinhead's Graveyard in Canton, North Carolina, Akron Haunted Schoolhouse at Akron, Ohio, Spookkhaven, Mill Fall, Pennsylvania, and Dark Castle in Elgin, South Carolina. Some of these haunts are also open on Valentine's Weekend, Insidious theatric Experience cancels their tour.

3:41 The Insidious Further euphir Theatrical Event canceled their entire tour after receiving negative reviews. The show debuted to poor reviews on January eighteenth, and after two shows in Detroit, Michigan, on the twenty fourth and the twenty fifth of January, all ticket sales were paused. Although the producers of the show of yein to formally announce the tour's cancellation, ticket holders for all future shows have begun to receive refunds. Considuous The Further You Fear was a collaboration between GEA Live, Plumbhouse, Sony Pictures, and road Co Entertainment that was promoted as an immersive experience featuring live performances, cutting edge visuals, and chilling soundscapes to immerse the audience in the terrifying world of the Insiduous franchise. Reviews and interviews with the tendees, however, indicated that it did not live up to this description and fell short of even standard theatrical expectations, such as having no sets. Horror Master John Carpenter from Halloween and the Fog will perform his iconic music for four nights at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, California. The residency dates or October twenty fourth, twenty fifth, thirty first, and November first. Carpenter has composed scores for over twenty films and released five albums of lost themes. I've been setting my nightmares, dreams and vision to music for a very long time, and there's lots to choose, from said Carpenter.

5:05 That means every night of this event we will offer something different and unexpected. Tickets are on sale now on John Carpenter's official website. Two dollars from each ticket will be donated to the Anti Recidivism Coalition, which supports incarcerated firefighters, and the Best Friends Animal Society, helping animals impacted by the Los Angeles fires. After years of spooky fun, air scars and aired re Alberta, Canada, will not return for the twenty twenty five season. The event was known in the area for its elaborate haunted house setups, community spirit, and fundraising efforts. The closer was announced via social media post by the BGC Airedree Club, in which they thank their sponsors, volunteers, and the local community. The club plans to hold the liquidation sale in the coming months. A Scarewell event is also in the works, so fans and contributors can can celebrate the event's legacy and say goodbye and spooky style. The BCG Airedree Club's official Facebook page for updates. Tickets are now on sale for Universal Studio Hollywood's Fan Fast Nights and Universal City, California. This new event will celebrate sci fi, fantasy, gaming, and anime over twelve select nights between April twenty fifth and May eighteenth.

6:19 The park takeovers will feature two new nighttime shows, including a Nintendo themed drone show by Sky Elements and a Harry Potter light projection. Universal Studio Hollywood Scott Strobel says the California park's upcoming Fan Fast Nights is like if Halloween Horror Nights and San Diego Comic Con had a baby. Fandoms represented in this inaugural event include Star Trek, Back to the Future, Dungeons and Dragons, One Piece, Jiujutsu, Kaizen, Harry Potter, and Super Nintendo. General admission tickets start at seventy four dollars. Express tickets at one seventy three and multi night Ultimate Fandom Pass starts at two hundred and forty nine. Coming off of twenty twenty four wars decline in sales, the Helloween industry expects growth this year, admit a broader mix of licensed merchandise, expansion of offerings, and Halloween falling on a Friday. There's a lot of new content coming, so I think this year will be fine and twenty twenty six will be great, said Tina Cortner, president and general manager at Disguise. The business is going to turn around, but it is slow moving ship coming off years in which retailers sold out and then overbought and had to work off inventory. January's Halloween and Party Expo in Las Vegas saw licensed costumes and animatronics featuring intellectual properties such as Captain America, Minecraft among Us, and the Halloween franchisees Iconic Michael Myers. Additionally, Halloween vendors and retailers have increasingly begun to expand into Christmas offering, with Spirit opening a slate of Spirit Christmas locations last year,

7:51 and several vendors of the Halloween and Party Expo showcasing holiday themed inflatables, mark your calendars. Tickets for the Texas Haunters Convention in Irving, Texas will go on sale March first. The event takes place July twenty sixth and twenty seventh at the Irving Convention Center. This Halloween in Costume Mexico features over ninety thousand square feet of family friendly vendors, events, demonstrations, and classes for Halloween and cosplay enthusiasts. Coming up in live streams, Haunters Toolboxes hosting a live Q and A session with trial attorney Matthew Murphy on Tuesday, February eleventh, five thirty pm to seven pm PST. Murphy has worked in courtroom since nineteen eighty five and tried cases to juries in three states and five federal districts as council During the live stream, Murphy will discuss protecting yourself from legal battles, how to deal with local codes and laws, insurance and liability, legal guidelines around your brand, advice from home Haunters and ha's, and more. We're sad to say that Ed Roberts, founder of the West Coast Hunters Convention and the Nightmare Factory at the Oregon School of the deaf passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, February first of twenty twenty five. Ed was an inspiration to many in the haunt community. He was also a retired student life counselor at the Oregon School for the Deaf, where he used his passion for Halloween to teach the students and raise funds with an annual Haunted House. He is survived by his loving wife, Casey Roberts. A celebration of life will

9:22 be organized in the coming weeks. Ed was a longtime supporter of the Haunted Attraction Network and we here at HAN send out our deepest sympathies to Ed's family and friends during this difficult time. He will be greatly missed. Valentine's Day haunted houses are coming to you and a full list is available on our website by following the links in our show notes or our newsletter. But for now, here's what we've got. Alabama. Valentine's Haunted houses include Arx Mortis and Kill in Alabama, Conjure Haunted Attraction in Birmingham east of Boga Manor and east of Boga hel Billy Hollow, and Vincent Nightmare. At three thousand and eight, in Fultondale, Pope's Haunted Farm in Salem, Spook Trail in Quintin, Sweet Dreams, Haunted Attractions in Mobile Warehouse thirty one in Pelham, Arkansas, includes the Folklore slaughter House in Graysville, Arkansas. And California has got All Saints Lunatic Asylum in Apple Valley, two O nine Haunts in Lyndon, and the Haunted Atesca Daro in a Tescadaro, California. Colorado has got the thirteenth Floor Haunted House in Denver, and Connecticut has got Fright Haven in Stratford, Florida, is bringing you the thirteenth floor Haunted House in Jacksonville, Florida, Sir Henry's Haunted Trail in Plant City, Wentz Brothers Festival Afairs in Fort Walton Beach, Georgia will be scaring people with the Folklore Haunted House in Ackworth, Georgia, Lake Joy Trails of Terror in Kathleen, Paranoia Haunted House in Canton, and the Screams Haunted Experience in Hoboken, Illinois

10:56 has got the thirteenth Floor Haunted House Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, Basement of the Dead in Aurora, Chittyvale, School Haunted House and Herron, the Sturbia Haunted House in downers Grove, Factory of Fear in Mowleine, Watchings Haunt in Parkersburg, La Cassa de Satanas in Chicago, and the Massacre Haunted House in Montgomery, Illinois. Indiana includes the Hysterium Haunted Asylum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Malice Manor and Clarksville Necropolis Underground in Indianapolis, night Mare on Edgewood in Indianapolis, in the Thirteenth Hour in Indianapolis, Indiana. Iowa's coming to You at the Hillside House of Hell in Glenwood, Iowa. Kentucky has got the Haunted Hotel Ky in Louisville, and Louisiana is bringing You Necro Manor in Bossier City, Louisiana. Maryland has got Bennett's Curse in Baltimore.

11:47 Here's Nightmare in Westminster in the Laurels House of Horror in Laurel, Maryland. Massachusetts has got the Chamber of Terror in Salem, Massachusetts. And Michigan is the Awakened Haunted Attraction in Leslie, Michigan. And Azra Chamber of Horror's Haunted House in Madison Heights Minnesota has got Nowhere Haunted House in Invergrove Heights, while Missouri is bringing you Terror and Route sixty six in Sullivan and The Darkness in Saint Louis, Missouri. New Jersey has got the Thirteenth Hour Haunted House in Wharton, New Jersey, and the Brighton Asylum in Passaic, New York. Valentine's haunted houses include the Seven Gate Screen Park in Niagara Falls, Bayville Adventure Park in Bayville, New York, and the Crooked Descent Haunted Attraction in New Hartford. North Carolina is scaring people with the Holler and Haunts Hay Ride in Clinton, Pinhead's Graveyard in Canton, and the Hotel in a Hoskie, North Carolina. Ohio brings forth Akron Haunted Schoolhouse in Akron, Ohio, Fear Columbus in Columbus, and Hell's Dungeon in Dayton, Ohio. Oklahoma has got The Asylum in Neuada, Oklahoma.

12:53 Well Oregon is bringing the Fear PDX from Portland and Nightmares on the Rogue in Medford, Oregon. Pennsylvania's Garan People with the Field of Screams Pennsylvania and Mountville Haunted Hills Estate Scream Park and Uniontown, Hidden Screams, Haunted Attraction in Lewistown, Horror Ween, Haunted Warehouse and Mount Union, Lincoln Mill, Haunted House in Philadelphia, Penhurst Asylum and Spring City, and Spookhaven in mill Hall, Pennsylvania. South Carolina has got the Dark Castle in Elgin and the Deceased Farm in Lexington, South Carolina. Tennessee's Valentine haunts include Freight Works in Powell, Tennessee, Nashville Nightmare and Madison Brigger Mortis Haunted House in McMinnville, and the Scream Chamber Haunted Attraction in North Athens, Texas. Valentine's haunted houses include the Thirteenth Floor Haunted House Houston and Houston, Texas, The Blackness Haunted House in Plainview, Cutting Edge at Fort Worth, Dark Hour and Plano Delusions, Scream Park and Bryan Doc Wilkes House of Horror in Longview, Hangman's House of Horrors and Worth, The Haunted Dollhouse in San Antonio, House of Torment and Austin, Nightmare on Nineteenth Street in Lubbock, and Scream Depot in Baird, Texas. Utah. Valentine's haunted houses include the Asylum forty nine and two. Well in the Castle of Chaos in Midvale, Virginia, is bringing you the Fright Mayor in Chesapeake, Virginia, Spooky Acres Haunted House in Norfolk,

14:24 Terror and Potomac Manor, and King George and the Terror Manor in Roanoke, Virginia. Washington's Haunted Houses include Cinema of Horrors and Kelso, Washington, and Frightvale in Oak Harbor. And finally, West Virginia's Valentine's Haunted Houses is the Fear of Farm in Winfield, West Virginia. Some upcoming events February through April include trans World Talloween and Attraction Show February seventh through March second in Saint Louis, Missouri, the Spooky Swap Meet April twenty fifth through twenty seventh in Los Angeles, California, And the East Coast Haunters Convention A twenty six through twenty seventh in Oaks, Pennsylvania.

15:04 And that's all for the News this Week. Today's episode was produced by me Philip Hernandez, with reporting by Darryl Plunky post production by David Swope. This Haunt 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. Until next time, Haunters stay scary. This is a Haunted Attraction Network production.