April 24, 2025

NEWS: Tariff Terror: Will Halloween Decorations Double in cost this year?

Show Notes
Transcript

This week: Tariffs Threaten to Raise Prices on Halloween Costumes & Decor; Creepy Creator Group Brings Easter Screams in Horror Parody Anthology; Complete Guide to the East Coast Haunters Convention; John Carpenter Comes to Midsummer Scream; Tokyo Disney Resort Limits Halloween Costumes; Merlin Entertainments Partners with RWS Global; Fear Farm Attraction Seeks New Venue; Texas Chainsaw Massacre Comes to the U.K. at Halloween Haunt. Read more: https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/tariff-terror-will-halloween-prices-double

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Coming up your weekly roundup of news from around the

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haunt industry. Welcome to the show. I'm Philip on the

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hn Show. We bring you the haunt news, information and

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education you need to prepare for Halloween. On Tuesdays, we

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bring you a roundup of news from haunts worldwide. Read

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more about these stories and so much more in our

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free weekly newsletter. Subscribe at the link in the show notes,

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and as always for the news roundup, I'm passing it

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off to Darryl.

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Tariffs are threatening to raise prices on Halloween costumes and decor.

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In a recent press release from the Halloween In Costume Association,

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it sounded an alarm that newly proposed tariffs on Chinese

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imports could severely disrupt the Halloween season, with products potentially

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costing double in the twenty twenty four pricing. This is

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an existential moment for our industry, said Robert Berman, Halloween

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In Costume Association board member and president of Rasta, Impasta

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and Impasta Costumes. Halloween isn't like other holidays. If products

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don't land on time or become too expensive for families,

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Halloween simply doesn't happen. There is no backup plan with

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millions of dollars already spent on raw materials and production.

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Many companies are now facing sudden, unexpected costs that will

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make their ranges unviable. Retailers are reacting by canceling orders

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and cutting volumes. It's brutal, says Berman. These are goods

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that are weeks from shipping, not months. And because Halloween

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is a one night event, you miss that window. There's

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no way to recover. When Halloween meets Easter, the results

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are deadly. Our so cal creepy creators present Easter Nightmares,

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a short horror comedy anthology we filmed during our last

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meetup at Halloween Express. Our talented local creators brought characters

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from Alien, the Exorcist, and Terrifier to life with extra

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twisted Easter spin. We are so proud of everyone that

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helped create these three terrifying tales. This week, the East

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Coast Hunters Convention the ECCHC returns to its second year

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the Greater Philadelphia expos Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, with pre

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con tours starting April twenty fourth and twenty fifth, and

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the convention days of April twenty sixth and twenty seven.

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The Haunted Attraction Network has created a comprehensive guide to

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this year's festivities. Produced by trans World Trade Shows LLC.

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The convention brings together professional haunters, home enthusiasts, actors, and

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Halloween fans for a celebrations of all things spooky, six

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months before the traditional haunting season begins. Our guide contains

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everything you need to know to plan your trip, including

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Haunt tour information, expo flour highlights, and a list of

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educational seminars, pricing, travel information and more. Registration for ECCHC

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is still available at the events official website. Whether you're

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a professional looking to enhance your haunt business, a home

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decorator seeking new ideas, or simply a Halloween enthusiast who

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can't wait until October, the East Coast Haunters Convention offers

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something for everyone one in the haunt community. Follow the

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links in our show notes to find everything that we're

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talking about. Horror legend John Carpenter will make it an

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exclusive one day appearance at Midsummer Scream in Long Beach, California,

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on Saturday, August sixteenth, as part of Storm King Comics

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presence at the event. Founded by film producer and wife

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John Carpenter, Sandy King, Storm King Comics together talent from

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the films, novels, and comics to create unique horror and

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sci fi titles. During his appearance, Carpenter will sign autographs

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and promote the new graphic novel John Carpenter Presents George A.

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Romeros the amusement Park. We're thrilled to welcome horror legend

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John Carpenter, Sandy King, and Storm King Comics to Midsommer

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Scream for the first time, said David Marklund, co founder

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and executive producer of Midsommer Scream. Their presence, especially with

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this year's theme focused on horror comic books, is a

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dream pairing taking place August fifteenth through seventeenth at the

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Long Beach Convention Center. Midsummer Scream will spotlight horror comic

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books and its twenty twenty five theme, with horror comic

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inspired artwork throughout the event and an official poster designed

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by Los Angeles based artist d W Friedendahl. Local comic

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shop Revenge of will host additional creator signings and provide

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pinball machines for attendees. All this is in addition to

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the Halloween fun fans have come to expect including three

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hundred plus exhibitors, olive shadows, mini haunts, live entertainment panels,

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and more. Tickets for this year's event are on sale now.

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Tokyo Disney Resort in Tokyo, Japan has released new dress

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code restrictions for guests visiting during the Halloween of September

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seventeenth through October thirty first. While in the past guests

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have been able to wear costumes throughout the period, twenty

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twenty five I'll see a more structured approach to the

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policy with specific costume blackout dates during September sixteenth through

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thirtieth and October sixteenth through thirty first, Guests will be

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allowed to wear costumes will visiting the park during the

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peak dates of October first through fifth, However, guests are

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asked to refrain from wearing costumes to the park. Furthermore,

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guests are prohibited from using public facilities. Restrooms are storage

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lockers for changing into costumes or applying make up. Full

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costume guidelines, as well as details regarding official changing spaces

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available for a fee reservations required, will be announced in

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the coming months. While new to the Tokyo Parks costume

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restrictions have been in place for years at Disney's US

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theme parks, with adult costumes only allowed during the separately

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ticketed Halloween event days. Merlin Entertainment has appointed RWs Global

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as its preferred entertainment production partner for six global destinations,

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Alton Towers Resort and Alton, United Kingdom, Chessington World of

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Adventure Resorts and Chessington, United Kingdom, Lego Land Windsor Resort

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in Windsor, United Kingdom, Lego Land California Resort in Carlsbad, California,

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Lego Land New York Resort in Goshen, New York, and

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Legoland Florida Resort in winter Haven, Florida. This partnership will

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compliment Merlin's core in house entertainment offerings, allowing the resorts

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to scale up brand and guest experiences throughout the year,

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including seasonal special events. Merlin is committed to providing world

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class entertainment for every guest, said Kathy Bagshaw, Global Director

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of Events and Entertainment Operations at Merlin Entertainments. Through this

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exciting new partnership, we have the opportunity to continue delivering

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first rate entertainment that guests have come to know and

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love at our resorts and elevate it to an even

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higher level. URWS Global's vast network of creative talent, innovative

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production resources, and operational expertise will help us bring bigger

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and better entertainment experiences to life, ensuring that guests enjoy

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new innovative offerings year after year. While specific details on

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these new offerings has yet to be released, all six

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parks do celebrate the spooky season with Halloween events, with

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RWs Global developing more than a one hundred time experiences

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at these parks for twenty twenty five alone, it is

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likely that the Halloween seasonal events will include new innovative productions,

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immersive storytelling, and exciting new shows. As part of the partnership.

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After four years in Glendale, Arizona, thirteen Floor Entertainments, Fear

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Farm will be moving to a new location for twenty

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twenty five. Jason Rove, owner of the land that previously

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housed the Haunt, said that the lease was canceled because

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we desire to do multiple events a year there and

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the way that Fear Farm was historically on its original

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spot and the way it was for several years on

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our spot to have a corn maze and to have

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a corn maze, you have to grow corn, so it

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takes a bunch of the year and it kind of

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limits how many things can potentially happen on the property.

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Thirteenth Floor spokesman Samantha Baronex said that they're currently looking

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at several potential new venues. In the past, we have

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operated roughly on forty acres, including both events space and parking.

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We are looking to maintain that amount of space, but

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do have the flexibility to operate on a slightly smaller footprint.

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Once the new venue has been selectednouncement will be made

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on the event's official website. Zombie Joe's Underground Theater Group

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presents Dark Dark Ride Ride datney Land Buckle in Brave Souls.

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Zombie Joe's Underground Theater Group in North Hollywood, California is

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proud to present the Dark Dark Ride Ride datney Land,

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a gleefully twisted, adults only horror parity experience that takes

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you on the most disturbing joy ride of your life.

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Climb into a two seater doom Buggie and journey through

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the unhinged satire of the world's most beloved theme park empire.

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Each twisted corner of the ride reveals a new demented

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scene featuring sinister princesses, deranged mascots and parody music gone

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Horrifyingly Wrong. Directed by Charlotte Cocker and produced by Zombie Joe,

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this experience for audience's eighteen plus contains nudity, dark themes,

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adult content and close up encounters. Dark Dark Ride Ride

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datney Land takes place two weekends only, April twenty fifth

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or twenty seventh, and May second through fourth. Tickets are

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on sale now for thirty five dollars per two person

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doom Buggy totaling thirty eight twenty five with online fees.

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Leatherface will make his UK debut and a brand new

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scare maze at this year's Halloween haunt Fest and Hertfordshire,

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United Kingdom. Guests will be transported into the world of

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the nineteen seventy four classic That Texas Chainsaw Massacre and

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face one of the horror's most feared families in iconic

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scenes from the film. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one

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of the most terrifying films of all time, and we

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are thrilled to bring its sheer horror to Halloween haunt Fest,

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said Nick Doherty, CEO of Nick Doherty Productions, producers of

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Halloween haunt Fest. Our team has worked tirelessly with the

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filmmakers and franchise owners to recreate the fear, suspense, and

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chaos of Leatherfaces World, and we can't wait for guests

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to experience at firsthand. Halloween haunt Fest will take place

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select nights October seventeenth through November First. Tickets are on

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sale starting at thirty nine pounds fifty for standard tickets.

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The Southland Helloween Parade in South End, on SA, United

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Kingdom is set to return on Saturday, October TI twenty fifth, Bigger, bolder,

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and spookier than ever. The parade is now open for

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entrance from the local community. Companies, dance troops and creatives

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are welcome to join in the Halloween Fund for free

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as long as they register before October fifth. Every entrant

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must be illuminated, dressed in family friendly costumes, entertain and

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interact with spectators, and be sure their outfits and designs

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are weather resistant. See the full list of terms and

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congitions and submit your registration form on the event's official

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website by following the links in our show notes. Some

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upcoming events this April through June include East Coast Haunts

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Convention in Oaks, Pennsylvania, from April twenty four through twenty seven,

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The Spooky Swap Meet in Los Angeles, California, April twenty

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fifth through twenty seven, Wicked New England in Salem, Massachusetts.

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May third, halfway to Halloween Expo in ann Arbor, Michigan.

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May tenth, Shutter Con in east Ridge, Tennessee, May tenth

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and eleventh, scare Con in Birmingham, England, May twentieth and

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Nive twenty first, Monster Palooza in Pasadena, California, May thirtieth

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through June first, and the Midwest Haunters Convention in Rosemont, Illinois,

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June sixth through eight.

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And that's all for the news this week. Today's episode

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was produced by me Philip Hernandez, with reporting by Daryl Plunky.

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Post production by David Swope. This Haunt News Update is

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a production of the Haunted Attraction Network, and you can

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sign up to our weekly newsletter at Hanta Attractionnetwork dot com.

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Support for this episode comes from Gantum Lighting and Controls.

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Until next time, Haunters Stay Scary.

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This is a Haunted attraction, network production,

NEWS: Tariff Terror: Will Halloween Decorations Double in cost this year?

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