NEWS: Halloween Trends & Knott's Scary Farm Opens

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 Halloween trans for twenty twenty five. What guests really want and what that means for your attraction. Only nineteen percent of US adults say they want scary vibes this Halloween. Well, thirty percent plan to wear multiple costumes, and seventy percent say organized events are steady or increasing.

0:56 In last week's episode of the Green Tagged Podcast, Philip and Scott unpact the annual Halloween Costumes dot Com survey and why it matters. The demand for cute, funny, and couseplay style experiences is growing faster than gore. Audiences are starting to plan earlier, and AI is already a factor in how people search for inspiration. They are also discussing how rising competition and budget conscious consumers may shape event calendars, citing six Flags, Magic Mountain and Not Scary Farm cutting weak Nights, while Hershey's Parks, Dark Knights, Leans, unbundled value and high quality houses the big question. With more families and casual fans in the market, can giggles and cute Halloween now generate more growth than scares? Door Dash releases their Trick Treat and Trans Sweet Halloween Orders Report. Door Dash release their Trick Treat and Trans Report for twenty twenty five, uncovering not just the most popular candies, but which nostalgic treats are crawling back from the dead. Based on the top candy purchases of October first through thirty first of twenty twenty four, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups still hold the top spot for chocolate, followed by M and M's, Hershey's Milk, Chocolate Bars, and Snickers, though data from August first through September tenth, twenty twenty five show that Hershey's Cookies and Cream may be a top contender for this year's rankings. Nostalgic ninety standouts rose from the grave in twenty twenty four with Baby Bottle Pop orders spiking in Eerie six hundred and forty one percent and dumb Dums climbing one hundred and one percent. The Ultimate Grandma Candies are also making a comeback, with Strawberry Bonbon sales spiking

2:29 six hundred percent year over year and boxed Raisin seeing a five hundred and twenty two percent growth in sales on Halloween week. We're seeing a real revival of comfort classics this Halloween, said Kristin Milner, consumer trans expert for door Dash Candy has become a kind of time capsule, with millennial parents passing down the staples they grew up with, while gen Z and jen Altha are reinterpreting those same trends as retro comfort. What might have once been written off as a cringe by younger generations is now being embraced feel good nostalgia. The resurgence of items like Grandma Candy and baby Bottle Pop shows how different generations might be finding joy in the same classics, just in their own way. While treats are on the rise, the tricks and trick or treater on the decline. Egg and toilet paper orders dipped in twenty twenty four. Despite seasonal Halloween prank spikes. In twenty twenty three, egg orders rose thirty eight percent and toilet paper twenty seven percent during Halloween week compared to an average week, but by twenty twenty four, those bumbs slipped to twenty eight and twenty one percent, respectively.

3:32 Even Halloween pranks tell the story about the times eggs and toilet paper wants to write a passage for mischief during spooky season are dipping. His prices rise, making it harder to pull from the pantry without parents noticing. Milliner added, the data also tells us that the families are putting their dollars towards getting more treats, showing inflation is reshaping both sides of the trick or treat. Not Scary Farm debuts two new mazes for twenty twenty five This past weekend. Not Scary Farm in Point O Park, California, opened for its fifty second season, running twenty six select nights through November first. This year's lineup includes ten mazes, five scare zones, three shows, and more with over one thousand horrifying creatures lurking in the fog, two new spine tingling mazes have made their debut this season. Step into a once beautiful home and marry the Haunting of Worth Home, but beware of her legion of nightmarish creatures that will do anything to exact or revenge. In the Zoo, an abandoned zoo has been transformed into a terrifying laboratory of animal and human experiments who have turned on their creators and are planning something that will change everything. Of the eight returning mazes, two we'll see their final season this year before fading into the fog Forever the Grimoire and Mesmer side show of the Mind. Every night, monsters take over the streets and turn theme park midways into five murderous scare zones.

4:53 Ghost Town Streets, the park's original scare zone, the Goring Twenties, complete with live or rather undead jazz band performances. Carnievil, where deviant clowns and circus freaks are dying for your attention. Forsaken Lake, where Gothic creatures wander from their crypts, and the Gauntlet, populated by an evil king and queen, maniacal jesters, brutal barbarians, wicked wizards, and lawless peasants, Not Scary Farmers more than just a collection of haunted attractions and scare zones. This year's entertainment lineup includes the pop culture filled stunt Extravaganza of the Hanging, the magic and mystery of Conjurors, and the death defying feats and carnival acts of the Le magnifeat Carnival Do Grotesque. The Timber Mountain log Ride is once again hosting a Halloween hoot Nanny, where eagle eyed guests can try to spot thirteen black cats spreading through the festivities into the fog. A Scary Farm Tribute art show is home to a collection of original Scary Farm inspired art by unique and talented artists from across the country. You will your frightful fun with a seasonal food and beverages that capture the essence of fall, including wickedly indulgent treats, delicious dinner options, and creepy cocktails to be enjoyed in the Witching hour. Follow the links in the show notes for more Not Scary Farm of including information about the full event, a video of Mary the Haunted Worth Home, and a tour through the zoo. Their new Maize six Flags reports attendance gains and seasonal event cancelations.

6:17 Six Flags Entertainment Corporation reported a two percent decline for the nine weeks ending August thirty, first, twenty twenty five, despite welcoming more than two hundred and ninety eight thousand more guests than the same period in twenty twenty four. Attendance grew thanks to promotion and discounts, but per capita admission spending dropped by seven percent, offset only slightly by food and merchandise sales. Early twenty twenty six, season pass sales are pacing ahead of last year, with prices up three percent, and six Flags reaffirmed its full year earnings guidance. In samful terms, more guests came through the gates, but they paid less to get in, which pulled overall revenue down. At the same time, the company is trimming seasonal operations across its parks. Not Scary Farm has remo moved all Wednesday dates for twenty twenty five, while six Flags Magic Mountain cut its Thursday Fright Fast Nights. Most recently, Sesame Plays San Diego announced the cancelation of both its Halloween and Christmas events, even though many guests has already purchased passes expecting them. These changes follow other Six Flags properties adjusting their schedules. In this week's episode of the Green Tag podcast, Philippin Scott discuss how the data and cuts raise questions about the long term strategy driving attendance. With discounts and sales, pass only works of guests keep coming back, and that depends on delivering strong seasonal events and consistent experiences.

7:37 Cutting back on Halloween and holiday offerings may solve short term cost concerns, but it risks eroding guest trust, especially during the very seasons that bring the highest engagement. As mentioned, Sesame Play sends its annual holiday events. In an abrupt seasonal operations change, Sesame Plays San Diego in San Diego, California will switch to a seasonal operations calendar, effective immediately ending its previously annual Halloween and Christmas special events. On September fifteenth, the park announced that its final operating day for the twenty twenty five season would be just six days later, on September twenty first. Sesame Place will reopen in spring of twenty twenty six, with a seasonal calendar focusing only on the warmer months. Of the year. This comes in the wake of six Flags similarly canceling Halloween and holiday events at multiple parks for twenty twenty five.

8:28 In an Instagram post, Sesame Place commented on the schedule change, stating, by focusing on our most popular times of year, we can deliver the best possible experience from the moment guests arrive until the moment they leave. Season pass holders will receive admission to SeaWorld San Diego for the remainder of twenty twenty five to compensate for the closure. Pacific Park debuts a new funhouse with Epic Entertainment Group. On September tenth, Pacific Park and the Santa Monica Peer in Santa Monica, California, opened a newly reimagined funhouse designed and produced by Epic Entertainment Group. The twenty eight hundred square foot attraction revives the historic Toonerville Funhouse with the nine themed chambers filled with optical illusions to started perspectives and playful yet eerie design.

9:13 Guests will discover that the Funhouse is far more than a maze of mirrors and tricks. Though at the heart of its low Eliza Sinister Pack sprinkles the clown and a mysterious fortune teller or in cahoots, luring unsuspecting visitors deeper into the maze and toward their chilling fate in the ice cream freezer. Creating the Funhouse for Pacific Park allowed us to blend nostalgia with new innovations in storytelling, said Charity Hill, co founder and executive producer of Epic Entertainment Group. We love digging into history, finding out what made people fall in love with these experiences in the first place, and then reinventing them for today's audiences. With the Funhouse, we're not just paying homage to Santa Monica's amusement legacy. We're creating a whole new chapter that will surprise and thrill guests for years to come. The Funhouse is a permanent addition to Pacific Park, operating year round.

10:00 Tickets are now on sale for fifteen dollars per person. The Mall of America announces seasonal thrills and Halloween Fun. The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, has unveiled its fall lineup, transforming the destination into a seasonal hub of fashion, food, culture, and Halloween fun. From September through November. Guests will find everything from haunted attractions to cultural celebrations all under one roof. Halloween offerings range from family friendly to full throttle frights. Nickelodeon Universe becomes Booniverse through November second, featuring immersive decor, nightly fright lights, shows, and costumed characters, alongside special events such as live Pumpkin Carving, Glow in the Park, Halloween Nights, and Toddler Tuesday's Treat Trail. Guests can also join unisef's seventy fifth Trick or Treat celebration with craft games in the iconic Orange Collection Box Mall wide. Trigger Treating returns on October thirty first. For those seeking more intense scares, Thirteenth Floors Twin Cities Fearfa to operate September twenty six through November two, while families can enjoy Scream and Green Haunt Awien at Crayola Experience. Spirit Halloween rounds out the season with its extensive store inside the mall beyond tell Aween.

11:13 All deals and experiences include bogo and limited ride wristbands at Nickelodean Universe weekdays through October third, Bundle detraction packages and seasonal fashion sales. Guests can also enjoy limited time dining specials while earning double MOA insider points through November second. Cultural events bring the community together with highlights such as the Autumn Moon Festival on October fourth, Among Arts Festival October twenty fifth, and the Latin Luminos October thirty first through November tewod. For full details on seasonal activities, deals and events, visit the mall's official website. Legendary Haunt Tour a enerary is announced. Trans World's Legendary Haunt Tour, taking place November seventh and eight, has announced its Haunt line up for twenty twenty five. All attractions will be fully operational with actors. The tour begins on Friday, November two with Castle of Chaos Haunted House in Midvale, Utah and Nightmares on thirteenth Haunted Attractions in Salt Lake City, Utah.

12:09 On Saturday, November eighth, the tour continues with a visit to the Haunted Forest in American Fork, Utah, and then returned to Nightmare on thirteenth through a behind the scenes tour and the night at Fear Factory in Salt Lake City, Utah. With a full show walk through, lights on self guided tour, guided behind the scenes tours, and after party Tickets for the legendary Haunt Tour on sale now starting at three hundred and fifty dollars for the bus tour and three hundred for the self driving tour. Prices will increase by twenty dollars after October sixth. Zero Latency VR announces its first fully immersive horror experience, Haunted. Zero Latency VR has announced the launch of Haunted, its first fully immersive horror experience, set inside a mysterious shifting house that seems to live and breathe. Haunted offers players an intense cinematic horror experience featuring wireless warehouse scale gameplay, five K visuals, and response of spatial audio. The title places up to eight players inside a psychologically onsetting narrative where a survival is never guaranteed.

13:10 Group dynamics are tested as players are drawn apart, guided by whispers laughter, in a presence that always seems one step ahead. This is an experience that Lingers, said Tim Rue's CEO of Zero LATENCYVR. Haunted is a deeply immersive, sensory rich story designed to stay with players long after they leave the arena. It taps into fear in unexpected ways. Sometimes it's loud and chaotic, sometimes it's quiet and intimate. Either way whereat, participants come out of it talking, laughing, and often a little shaken. Haunted will be available at zero latency venues worldwide beginning on October third. Bookings are now available on their official website. Michael Myers returns to the big screen this October. Michael Myers is lashing his way back to the big screen. This October, John Carpenter's Halloween nineteen seventy eight returns to theaters nationwide, joined by Halloween four, The Return of Michael Myers, and Halloween five, The Revenge of Michael Myers. Together, these classics will screen on more than eighty markets and nearly four hundred theaters, with additional locations being added daily. Cini Life Entertainment and treich As International Films are once again partnering to bring the films back for the season, giving fans and families a chance to relive the suspension, dread, and terror of Michael Myers on the big screen. For many, seeing Halloween in theaters has become an annual tradition, and this October, both longtime fans and first time viewers will have the chance to share the scares with Michael Myers where he belonged in the dark. Check local listings to find a theater near you. Trick or Treat gets its first nationwide

14:41 theatrical release on October fourteenth and sixteen. Legendary Pictures, Warner brother Pictures, and Saga Arts are bringing Trick or Treat from two thousand and seven to screens nationwide for the first time ever in a partnership with Fathom Entertainment. A modern Halloween classic, Trick or Treat is injured as a fan favorite for its chilling tales and its unforgettable guardian of tradition, Sam, the mischievous spirit who punishes those who break the rule. Written and directed by Michael Dougherty, Godzilla, King of the Monsters, and Crampus, the film We've Sinister Stories. Set on Halloween night, a high school principal moonlights as a killer, a young virgin search for the right man turns horrific, Emma and her husband learn the cost of ignoring rituals, and a cantankerous old man faces Sam in a terrifying showdown, darkly funny, gruesome, and endlessly rewatchable trick or treat secures Sam's place as a true spirit of Halloween.

15:33 The screenings will include a special feature rat of director Michael Doherty discussing the Halloween memories that inspired the film, and a restoration of the nineteen ninety six hand drawn short films Season's Greetings that first brought the iconic Sam to light. Visit Fathom Entertainment's official website to locate screenings near you. Midnight Syndicate, Gothic Horror and Haunt Music Hunters Toolboxes hosting a live Q and A session with Edward Douglas and Galvin Gozka Night Syndicate on Tuesday, September thirtieth at five thirty pm to seven pm Pacific daylight Time. Midnight Syndicate is an American musical duo known for creating dark, atmospheric, and gothic themed instrumental music. Since nineteen ninety seven, composers Douglas and Gozca have produced what they call soundtracks for the Imagination, blending orchestral scores with sound effects to evoke a sense of horror, mystery, and fantasy. Their tunes and ambient sounds are used in themed attractions worldwide. Tune into this ninety minute live session to hear about their inspiration and learn how to create your own hot music, along with sound tips and tricks. Some upcoming events this September through November of twenty twenty five include Son of Monster Palooza October tenth through twelfth and Burbank California i APPA November seventeenth through twentieth in Orlando, Florida, and creep It Real Festive November twenty one through twenty third in Santa Ana, California.

16:54 And that's all for the news this week. Today's episode was produced by me Philip Fernandez, with reports by Darryl Plunky. Post production by David Swope. This hant News Update is a production of the Hanted Attraction Network and you can sign up to our weekly newsletter at Haunted Attraction Network 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.