Another year, another incredible Midsummer Scream in the books. It was exactly what I needed to get properly excited for Halloween season. It’s literally the perfect way to kick off spooky season. I mean, where else can you get a sneak peek at all the haunted goodness coming your way AND reconnect with your favorite horror family all in one amazing weekend?

Hall of Shadows Was Packed with Quality Haunts

The Hall of Shadows continues to be one of my favorite parts of the convention. The mini haunts were absolutely incredible – each one a perfect bite-sized taste of terror that left me craving more.

Lionsgate brought some seriously impressive set design to their haunted attraction showcase. You could tell they put real money and effort into making something that felt cinematic rather than just thrown together for the convention floor.

Fear Farm had a fun and innovative mini haunt set up that reminded me why I keep going back to them year after year. I’m excited to see their new location this season.

Straite to Hale continues to impress me with how professionally they handle everything. Their characters were on point, and their mini haunt was genuinely scary while still being fun. I’ve been to their home haunt before and they consistently deliver scares that actually get me, which isn’t always easy to do. Looking forward to seeing what they do this year.

Panel Highlights and Big News

I made it to several panels this weekend, and there were some announcements that have me genuinely excited for this spooky season.
The Six Flags Fright Fest panel had some good updates on what they’re planning. One of my absolute favorite ScareActors is getting their own show and I couldn’t be more pumped about it! If you make it to Fright Fest, do not miss MARGO RITA’S MONSTER BALL!

13th Floor Entertainment Group made some of the biggest announcements of the weekend. Their collaboration with Winchester Mystery House sounds like it could be something special with immersive theatre aspects that sound incredible. The Winchester house already has such a creepy history – pairing that with 13th Floor’s production values seems like a solid match.

I was also excited to hear that Elvira is collaborating with LA Haunted Hayride this year. I’ve always been a fan of hers since watching her movies growing up, so it’ll be cool to see what they do with the partnership. The Kronk Merry-Go-Round addition sounds like it’ll be a nice touch too. And of course I’m happy that Monáe Manor is returning. Such a strong female presence at a haunt is really refreshing.

Delusion remains one of my favorites in the haunt world. As an actor myself, I really appreciate good immersive theater, and Jon Braver consistently delivers some of the best storytelling in the horror space. His ability to blend traditional haunted house scares with legitimate theatrical narrative is phenomenal. Every time I experience one of his productions, I’m reminded why immersive horror theater is such a powerful art form.

The Queen Mary panel was another highlight. They’re bringing back a lot of the iconic characters that people have come to expect, and the new annual pass option is a smart move.
The Queen Mary holds a special place in my heart because I actually had a legitimate paranormal experience there once. There’s something about doing a haunted attraction on an actually haunted ship that adds this extra layer of authenticity to the scares. When you’re walking through those ship corridors, you can feel the weight of all that history around you.

The Conjuring Experience Was the Weekend’s Best Surprise

The absolute highlight for me was the immersive Conjuring experience. They had actual props from the movies on display, which was cool enough on its own. But then they basically had you playing hide and seek with actors portraying characters from the films. It felt like you were actually in the Conjuring universe rather than just watching it from the outside. The performers really committed to their roles and made the whole thing work.

New Immersive Show

I also experienced a one on one immersive performance by Drowned Out Productions that really stuck with me. If you enjoy theatre, check out PEOPLE IN THE DARK: AN IMMERSIVE GHOST STORY coming to Los Angeles October 10th.

It’s like a Family Reunion Every Year

Of course, no Midsummer Scream experience would be complete without countless selfies with friends – documenting all the amazing memories we’re making together! Running into people I haven’t seen since last Halloween season, catching up on everyone’s haunt experiences, and seeing all the familiar faces at their booths year after year is wonderful. It really does feel like a family reunion for horror fans. The artists Zombie Gnomes and Sanatorium Emporium were creating some incredible work right there on the convention floor. It’s always impressive to watch talented people work in real time like that. I even got to see Barry Under Your Bed read his book!

Looking Ahead: The Spooky Season Awaits

All in all, this was another solid Midsummer Scream. The announcements have me looking forward to what’s coming this Halloween season, and it was good to reconnect with the horror community after being away from conventions for a while.

Thank you so much to Midsummer Scream for inviting me out to cover the event – it truly was an unforgettable weekend! If you’re into Halloween and haven’t been to this convention yet, you should definitely check it out next year.

Now I need to start planning my haunt schedule for October…