In some 22 years editing Theme Park Adventure (TPA) and based in SoCal, haunted attractions have grown from a nice side focus for us to become at least 50% of all content we publish online. We made more than 45 stops at haunts alone in SoCal for Halloween 2016 and still did not see everything that was offered.
Being surrounded by top haunt productions in the “Southland” naturally instigates a drive and desire to create and experience haunts that are even bigger, scarier, and more fantastic. That’s a tall order, but one that is met head-on year after year in the area.
The sense of excitement and general curiosity of the incredible amount and type of haunts in the area has the rest of the world intrigued, and has supported the creation of successful industry events such as Midsummer Scream, a Halloween, haunt and horror convention held each summer at the Long Beach Convention Center.
The 2017 Midsummer Scream expects to welcome upward of 15,000 fans and haunters. The program includes panel presentations by all of the major theme parks and attractions, a show floor filled with artisans selling their spooky wares, a football field-sized dark zone packed with mini haunted attractions and roaming monsters, plus a weekend of live entertainment. We feel Midsummer Scream exemplifies the spirit of the Southern California Halloween and haunt community – proud of what we do and welcoming to other fans, organizations and haunters from around the world.