NEWS: Woods of Terror's Largest Expansion; Park Troubles

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 Woods of Terror in Greensboro, North Carolina has returned with sixteen Haunted attractions sprawled over eight hundred thousand square feet of terrifying landscapes. Running select nights now through November ninth, the event offers over an hour of thrills with more than one hundred and twenty actors, live music, and refreshments.

0:56 This year's event features two exciting new editions. The first is Akropolis, a sprawling, eerie, New Orleans style city of the dead. We've up the stakes in every way possible, says Eddie McLaurin, the owner known as Bone Daddy. Each year we create new scares, and Necropolis is going to immerse guests in a whole new level of fear. A second new edition will debut in October. Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga's Witch House will appear to have grown out of the earth from roots and vines, and it will stand taller than Disney's Space Mountain. When Woods of Terror reopens the first weekend December for their first ever Christmas haunt, this area will be transformed into a crampus layer. Tickets are on sale now for Woods of Terror, starting at thirty five to fifty dollars for general admission. On September twelfth, the Santa Monica Art Museum in Santa Monica, California opened Monsters Exhibit of Horrors, operating Wednesdays through Sundays. The exhibit features art from creators like Jim McKenzie and Andrew Freeman, photo ops, a coffin simulator, and more as it takes visitors through eight team chambers to explore monster origins, evolution, and psychological impact. The Haunted Attraction Network toured the museum with curator Ricardo Puentes and learned more about Puente's vision and for the exhibit. The goal is to make a space where people find interesting, to change the way people see art and consider what his art said. Pwentes Tickets are on sale now starting at twenty dollars for general admission.

2:23 The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park in San Diego, California returns September twenty second through November two for two haunts in one, the thirty five hundred square foot experiment Maze and the titular mile long outdoor Trail. Tickets are on sale now starting at thirty two ninety nine for general admission and forty seven ninety nine for scream Pass admission. Purchased your tickets in advance to receive ten dollars off either general admission or scream Pass admission. On opening night, Friday, September twenty seventh, Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oaklawn, Illinois, celebrates its tenth anniversary this Halloween season. Launched in twenty fourteen by haunt owner and marine veteran Justin Serniac, Midnight Terror plans to celebrate this milestone with a limited supply of forty percent off discounted tickets each night, all new psycho circus area populated by malevolent clowns, and four special events lights on Trigger Treating on October twenty sixth Blackout event, November three, Clown Takeover in November eighth to ninth, and Christmas Fear December thirteenth through fifteen. We're providing the best Helloween event value in Chicago Land by offering throwback prices similar to what we charged ten years ago when we first opened at Serniac. The event offers two interconnected haunts, Black Oak Grove and Factory of Mallam, now populated with more scare actors than ever before. It's a fulfilling achievement to reach ten years. We built a major following a strong tradition and a stellar reputation over the past decade

3:53 that I'm very proud of, said Serniac. We've had over two hundred thousand visitors to Midnight Terror since we first opened. I love seeing so many of the same loyal faces return to our haunt every year, including fans who years ago were teenagers or young adults, but who now bring their own youngsters to our haunt. Tickets for Midnight Terror are on sale now, starting as low as twenty dollars. The event runs nights September twenty seventh through November ninth, with a Christmas event on December thirteenth through fifteen. Fright at the Farm in Zumbroda, Minnesota has returned select nights October eleventh through November second with their unique indoor Outed Haunted Cannabis Maze. The Haunt is located on Willows Keep Farm, which began in the nineteen twenties as a dairy operation, but when owner Ted Glatti became licensed as a hemp grower, the farm was converted to grow cannabis and now grows different varieties of industrial hemp. Tickets are on sale now for eighteen dollars online twenty dollars at the door. Fright at the Farm partners with Pine Area People for the Arts for the fifty to one hundred scare actors at the event each night. The next round of scare act auditions will take place on Saturdays, September twenty eighth. Bush Gardens, Williamsburg and Williamsburg, Virginia has implemented a chaperone policy for Hello Scream beginning this past Friday. All visitors age fifteen and younger must be accompanied by a chaperone who is at least twenty one years old when visiting after four pm.

5:15 On Hollow Scream event nights, the chaperone must accompany their party at entry, remain inside the park during their visit, and be available by phone throughout their stay. Each chaperone may accompany up to ten visitors at a time. Guess stage fifteen years or younger who are found inside the park unaccompanied by a chaperone will be subject to ejection without refund. This policy has been put in place after a large fight and a stabbing occurred in the first two weekends of this year's Hello Scream event. Furthermore, as announced on September nineteenth by the James City County Police Department, anyone ages seventeen and under must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or custodian when in a public place between midnight and five am. Local news station WCEVTV report this rule applies anywhere in James City County, not just Bush Gardens Williamsburg.

6:06 The Dent Schoolhouse in Dent, Ohio has implemented a chaperone policy for this year's event as well. Starting this past Friday, all guests fifteen years of age or younger must be accompanied by a chaperone twenty one or older. The chaperone may a company up to five children. Chaperones must be with a group in line, but are not required to enter the attraction. Guests sixteen year older may be asked to show a photo IDAs proof of age. In the Facebook post, the Haunt said, we believe that this new chaperone policy, as well as new security detail will help ensure that the Dent Schoolhouse continues to have a fun, positive atmosphere for all Haunt seekers as they look for a night of Halloween fun. Dark Knights at Hershey Park and Hershey, Pennsylvania creates a well balanced Helloween experience for all ages. The Haunted Attraction Networks owned Philip Bernandez contributed to a recent article an in Park Magazine where he explains how the event's balanced approach to Helloween fun and scares make the event stand out. He cites three key factors in the park's balanced approach for the Halloween event, value, consistency, and accessibility. The event's five haunts, free scare zones, activity and entertainment are all included with regular park admission, offering a strong incentive for families and seasoned passholders. The park is also divided into a scary section with the mazes and scare Zones. The family friendly Avenue of the Afterlife, a scare free zone that includes themed entertainment and food.

7:29 This incentivizes families to stay into the evening, allowing them to choose how scary or not they would like the night to become. A common misconception is that Halloween events should scare guests. They should entertain guests, not necessarily scare them, assert Hernandez. Hershey Park's approach shows that you can still offer quality experiences without overwhelming guests with crowds or steep ticket prices. Ultimately, Dark Knights is a testament to Hershey Park's ability to create an event that is both thrilling and inclusive, making it a model for the future of seasonal events. Not Scary Farm in Buena Parte, California opened this past weekend, and the Haunted Attraction Network was there to explore this year's two new mazes, Eight Fingers nine The Boogeyman and Widows. In eight Fingers nine The Boogeyman, step inside a living fairy tale in a colonial township that is under siege by an inhuman monster that emerges from the shadows to eat your fingers. In Widows try to escape from the spider possessed residents of the Convalescent Home.

8:27 This year's Not Scary Farm event features ten mazes, five scare zones, three shows, Elvira Experience, Into the Fog Art Show and more. Tickets are on sale now, starting at fifty nine to ninety nine for general admission. Movie Park Germany in Betrop, Germany, expands its IP offerings for this year's Halloween Horror Festival with a new Haunt experience, A Quiet Place, Stay Quiet, Stay Alive. The Haunt will feature eight detailed scenes from A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part Two in an over fourteen hundred square meter space approximately fifteen thousand square feet. Demand for an IP horror house has been very strong among our guests, said the theme park's Halloween project manager, Manuel Prasatovic. A Quiet Place, Stay Quiet, Stay Alive joins seven other hans at the Halloween Horror Festival, as well as a variety of thrilling shows and entertainment options. Tickets are on sale now. Write Best Or Wild Waves theme Park and water Park in Federal Way, Washington, dares fans to confront their fears by enduring a twenty four hour Cryptkeeper challenge Beginning Friday, October fourth, six guests will compete to see who can spend the full twenty four hours in the coffin the last survivor who will win two Wild Waves twenty twenty five season passes with a twenty twenty five season dining plan, and two twenty twenty four vip Fright Fast passes, a six hundred dollars value in total. Interested souls eighteen and over must submit a short written request explaining why they should

9:58 be among the chosen few by the online application form. Follow the links in our show notes. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry would like to remind all haunts that they must comply with all provisions of the Child Labor Act if staffing their haunt with miners. Ellowine attractions are designed to scare, but that doesn't mean child performers should be put in dangerous environments, whether from patrons, older employees, or unsafe conditions. Ellen I Secretary Nancy A. Walker said it's critical that haunted attraction employers follow the law by ensuring required breaks, securing entertainment permits, and remembering that children cannot work past certain hours on school nights. I want parents and young performers to know there is recourse and that protections exist if something feels off, whether it's about working hours or unsafe uncomfortable situations. Pennsylvania's Child Labor Act is enforced by the Bureau of Labor Law Compliance, who issues approximately fifteen hundred entertainment permits for child labor each year.

10:59 The acquire information about the child's employment arrangement and a parent or guardians signature, and must be submitted before the child's first rehearsal or performance. Violation of the Child Labor Act may result in either administrative or criminal penalties, including fines and or imprisonment. In a recent press release, the Halloween Costume Association announced their costume trend predictions for the twenty twenty four Halloween season. From classic movie monsters to modern pop culture icons, This year's hottest costumes bring together beloved characters with contemporary flair. According to the Helloween In Costume Association, hot trends will include Wednesday, Adams, Barbie and Ken, superheroes and villains like Spider Man, Wonder Woman, and Harley Quinn, and horror movie villains such as Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Ghost Bace and Penny Wise. Eighties and nineties throwbacks are also expected to be popular choices, with costumes inspired by classic shows like Friends, Fresh Prints of bel Air and movies like Ghostbusters and Jurassic Park. Have you been listening to our sixty one day hauntedthon happening right now through Halloween.

12:03 Celebrate Haunted attractions daily via short and long form videos and podcasts, including recent ones including Monster Exhibitive Horrors, the Santa Monica Art Museum Tour, Not Scary Farm twenty twenty four, New Mazes Woods of Terror twenty twenty four Full event walkthrough. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, or follow the links in our show notes. And that's all for the news this week. Today's episode was produced by me Philip Ernandez, with reporting by Daryl 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 Haunted Attraction Network dot com. Support for this episode comes from Gantum Lighty and controls. Until next time, Haunters Stay Scary. This is a Haunted Attraction Network production.