Another year for the Midsummer Scream convention at the Long Beach Convention Center and it certainly was a massive success! From haunted mazes to fashion shows, celebrity sightings to industry panels; the weekend was chock full of all things horrific. The featured sponsors this year were Knott’s Scary Farm, Universal’s Hollywood Horror Nights, the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, and the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride.
On Saturday, the lines started forming as early as 6 AM for general admission entrance. The doors opened at 11 AM and many people headed straight for the mazes in the Hall of Shadows and to line up for the premier attractions. In the main hall, there were several themed areas, such as Elvira’s Macabre Market, the Haunted Mansion themed Corridor of Creepy Creeps, and the Paranormal Pumpkin Patch kids’ area that entertained con attendees. With over 300 vendors, there was something for everyone that was in a shopping mood. The underlying theme of this year’s event was all things tiki and there were plenty of places to get in on the fun.
In the upstairs galleries, there were movie screenings, panels, and presentations on special effects, cosplay, as well as the history and future of the horror industry. Speaking of cosplay, there were hundreds of attendees that came out in all manner of horror cosplays. There were classics such as Michael Myers and the Bride of Frankenstein to new twists to Chucky and Beetlejuice. For some, the scarier the better and there were plenty of scares about!
The crowds came out in droves, but the staff was helpful and friendly at every turn. Once the lines cleared, the event was easy to move around in and get to see all the attractions. While there were lines on the inside of the event for special presentations and panels, they were well organized and moved quickly. There were plenty of locations for refreshments both inside and out with the standard snack bar food inside and multiple food trucks outside to satiate any appetite.
Overall, this was an amazing event and a great kickoff to the upcoming haunt season. I will definitely be looking forward to this event in the future!
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