HalloWeekends explained

HalloWeekends
Frequency:Annual
Years Active:1997–2019, 2021–
First:1997
Genre:Halloween

HalloWeekends is an annual Halloween event at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. It was introduced in 1997, and takes place during the Halloween season, usually from the second Friday after Labor Day until the Sunday before Halloween, or sometimes into early November. The event is open on Thursday Nights, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It is included free with park admission. As of 2021, HalloWeekends features 11 haunted houses and nighttime scare zones,[1] and there are several children's attractions. It is advised that children under 13 years old be accompanied by an adult. HalloWeekend's yearly slogan is "All You Fear is Here!". Other Six Flags parks including Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Valley Fair, and Worlds of Fun all have formerly used the HalloWeekends name. The name has changed to Halloween Haunt at all 3 parks. Cedar Point is the only Six Flags park that still uses the HalloWeekends name.

Overview

HalloWeekends debuted in 1997 and was only open for three weekends. It has since grown to be held on Thursday Nights, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during seven weekends in September and October. However, not all of the rides and attractions are open on Friday nights. Attractions include Haunted Houses and Scare Zones.[1] The park is decorated with 1,735 bales of hay, 28,800 cornstalks, 23,000 pounds of pumpkins and other Halloween related items.[2] Located underneath the Sky Ride on the Main Midway in front of Raptor is the Cedar Point Graveyard, also known as "The Land Of The Lost Thrill Rides", which was added to HalloWeekends in 2004[3] and features tombstones of the park's rides that have been retired from the 1960s onwards.[4] Cars from retired rides are placed around the park. For example, cars from Frontier Lift and formerly Mantis lie in the Cedar Point Graveyard, one from WildCat lied near Gemini and a car from Disaster Transport lied near Power Tower.

During HalloWeekends, the park offers an express ticketing system called Fright Lane for the haunt attractions, similar to Fast Lane. It offers front-of-the-line access for one visit to Deprivation, CornStalkers 2.0, Fearground Freakshow, Eerie Estate, Hexed, and Slaughter House, and unlimited visits through Blood on the Bayou, and Cut Throat Cove.[5]

HalloWeekends has been ranked as one of the best Halloween events in the US. It was ranked fifth for "Best Halloween Event" in the Golden Ticket Awards between 2005 and 2008.[6] [7] [8] [9] In addition, it was ranked fifth again in 2013 and 2014.[10] The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] It returned in 2021.

Attractions

Historical

Six Flags, the park's owner, acquired Knott's Berry Farm—the first park with a Halloween Haunt—in 1997, and implemented the event throughout the chain, starting with Cedar Point.[12] At its debut, there were only two haunt attractions, Eerie Manor and Cedar Point Cemetery. Guests could travel on the Cedar Point Spooky Express through haunted lagoons and graveyards.[13] The first new attraction, Toxic Tunnel of Terror, was introduced in 1998.[14] Camp Spooky debuted a year later with children's activities in Camp Snoopy. In 2000, Cedar Point Cemetery was re-themed into Pharaoh's Secret.[15] The park added three attractions in 2001, Eerie Manor was re-themed into Undertaker U., and Fright Zone and Magical House on Boo Hill were added.[16]

Werewolf Canyon debuted in 2003 in Thunder Canyon.[17] 2004 saw the addition of CarnEvil and Lair of the Vampire. Werewolf Canyon was also expanded that year.[18] Fear Faire, with a medieval theme, was added in 2006.[19] In 2007, the park added the Monster Midway Invasion Celebration Parade which goes from Gemini to the main midway.[20] In 2008, HalloWeekends received a major expansion. CornStalkers replaced Werewolf Canyon, Club Blood replaced Lair of the Vampire, CarnEvil was relocated to Camp Snoopy and Terror Island was added under Millennium Force. The area near Blue Streak was turned into a children's area, Magical House on Boo Hill was relocated and a haybale maze was added. HalloWeekends was extended to eight weekends for the first time.[21] [22]

In 2009, the park replaced Pharaoh's Secret with Happy Jack's Toy Factory and G.A. Boeckling's Eerie Estate opened.[23] Dr. D. Mented's Asylum for the Criminally Insane was added in 2010.[24] For the 2011 HalloWeekends, Cedar Point renamed two attractions due to protests. Dr. D Mented's Asylum for the Crimally Insane was renamed Eternity Infirmary and The Edge of Madness show became The Edge of Madness -- Six Feet Under. Screamworks replaced Fright Zone and Blood on the Bayou was added along the lagoons under Iron Dragon.[25] [26] When Disaster Transport closed in 2012, so did Happy Jack's Toy Factory.[27] Terror Island was relocated under Maverick because the Dinosaurs Alive! attraction was using the path for Terror Island. Its name was changed to Cut Throat Cove. A new haunted house called Eden Musee was built inside Mean Streak's infield.[28] For the 2013 event, Cedar Point introduced Zombie High School, which replaced Club Blood at the front of the park. Trick-or-Treat with the Dinosaurs, which takes place on Adventure Island, was also introduced for kids to collect candy from the dinosaurs.[29] [30]

In 2014, CarnEvil is replaced by Fear-y Tales in Camp Snoopy, which was closed in 2016 when Camp Snoopy was no longer used as a location for outdoor scare zones.[31] 2014 was also the opening for Tombstone Terror-tory, an old west style outdoor zone located in Frontier Town in the back of the park, and Hexed, a haunted house filled with witches located at the front next to Gatekeeper.[32] In 2015 came Slaughter House, which ironically was located next to the petting zoo off Frontier Trail. The 2017 season saw the openings of two new houses and a 360 scare zone. There was Deprivation: No Way Out (which replaced Eden Musee), a complete blackout house with 3 different mazes inside with the intention of playing on your senses, Fearground Freakshow (which replaced Eternity Infirmary), a big top house filled with undead carnies and other oddities, and the brand new Harvest Fear, an outdoor zone festival that becomes haunted when night falls.[33] Screamworks closed in 2017 and opened up in 2018 as Trail of the Forsaken, which was then closed after the 2019 season.[34] [35] Zombie High School also closes after the 2019, but is not replaced by anything going forward.

Halloweekends was closed for the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the park deemed it unsafe since the social distancing guidelines would make the houses and zones difficult to operate.[36] [37] However, Halloweekends opened back up in 2021 with new hours on Thursdays in October and a brand new scare zone named Banished which ends up replacing the former Trail of the Forsaken.[38] Blood on the Bayou was also moved from the lagoons under Iron Dragon to Adventure Island from this season onwards as well.[39] [40] The 2022 season became more amped up for its 25th anniversary with 2 new houses with Bloodbath replacing Deprivation in Steel Vengeance’s courtyard and The Haunting of Eerie Estate replacing G.A. Boeckling's Eerie Estate.[41] [42]

Former attractionOpenedClosedReplaced by
Banished20212022
CarnEvil20042014Fear-y Tales
Cedar Point Cemetery19971999Pharaoh's Secret
Club Blood20082012Zombie High School
Deprivation: No Way Out20172021Bloodbath
Eden Musee20132016Deprivation
Eerie Manor19972000Undertaker U.
Eternity Infirmary20102016Fearground Freakshow
Fear Faire20062013
Fear-y Tales20152016
G.A. Boeckling's Eerie Estate20092021The Haunting of Eerie Estate
Happy Jack's Toy Factory20092011
Harvest Fear20172022
Hexed: Lights Out!20142022Midnight
Lair of the Vampire20042007Club Blood
Maniacal Mechanical Screamworks20102017Trail of the Forsaken
Pharaoh's Secret20002008Happy Jack's Toy Factory
Terror Island20082011Cut Throat Cove
Toxic Tunnel of Terror19982003Lair of the Vampire
Trail of the Forsaken20172019Banished
Undertaker U.20012009Eternity Infirmary
Werewolf Canyon20032007CornStalkers
Zombie High School20132019

Current

The outdoor attractions are run by the HalloWeekends' Screamsters, a group of Cedar Point staff members who are commanded to scare visitors by The Overlord when night falls. The Overlord debuted in 2009 and he commands all the Screamsters to scare people at every opportunity.[23] However, he did not appear for the 2013 season. Knott's Scary Farm's very own Sarah "The Green Witch" Morgan-Marshall took over HalloWeekends as their new and first female leader of the Screamsters in 2014. In 2017, The Overlord returned as leader of The Screamsters. The Screamsters were introduced in 2005, with 70 staff.[43], there are about 400 Screamsters, and 25 make-up artists who provide their masks. Each Screamster has an individual character.[44] [45]

, HalloWeekends features 9 attractions, including four scare zones and four haunted houses.[1] The outdoor attractions are Blood on the Bayou, Cut Throat Cove, Tombstone Terror-tory, and CornStalkers 2.0. The indoor attractions are The Haunting of Eerie Estate, Bloodbath, Slaughter House and Fearground Freakshow.

In March 2014, Midnight Syndicate announced plans for a series of live multimedia concerts entitled Midnight Syndicate Live! Legacy of Shadows that would run throughout the 2014 HalloWeekends event. They also announced that they would be teaming up with special effects artist, Robert Kurtzman (From Dusk Till Dawn) as well as director Gary Jones (Axe Giant) and Face Off contestants, Beki Ingram and David Greathouse.[46] [47] The show opened on September 12 to very positive reviews.[48] The Akron Beacon Journal described it as "Part concert, part movie, part theater, part just plain creepy," going on to call it "top-notch and ambitious."[49] This production would be the final show to run in the Goodtime Theater which was torn down shortly after to make way for park expansion.[50] In March 2017, it was announced that Midnight Syndicate would be returning once again to perform their Midnight Syndicate Live! show at HalloWeekends and that the show would be held in the Jack Aldrich Theater.[51] The production was subsequently brought back the Aldrich Theater for the 2018, 2019, and 2021 seasons.[52] [53] in 2022, the band commemorated its 25-year association with HalloWeekends by co-producing and performing in a new show entitled, Midnight Hour: 25 Years of HalloWeekends and Midnight Syndicate. A compilation album entitled, HalloWeekends: 25 Years of Terror Together was released and sold in the park. The album featured songs that had been heavily used at HalloWeekends over the previous 25 years as well as new music from the Midnight Hour show.[54]

AttractionTypeOpenedLocation
Blood on the BayouScare ZoneOpened 2011 Relocated 2021On Adventure Island near Professor Delbert's Frontier Fling
CornStalkers 2.0: Revenge of the Pumpkin HeadsScare Zone2008Thunder Canyon
Cut Throat CoveScare Zone2012Near Maverick
BloodbathHaunted House2022Steel Vengeance's infield
Fearground FreakshowHaunted House2017Near Wave Swinger
The Haunting of Erie EstateHaunted House2022Near Planet Snoopy
Slaughter HouseHaunted House2015Frontier Trail
Tombstone Terror-toryScare Zone2014Frontier Town
Clownz:Death Metal TourScare Zone2023Gemini Midway
MidnightHaunted House2023Under Gatekeeper

Children's attractions

The park features several attractions for children. Several live shows, including the Skeleton Crew acrobatics show that takes place in Celebration Plaza, are performed each day.[55] [56] The Monster Midway Invasion Celebration Parade, which travels along the Main Midway from Gemini to Pink's on Saturdays, and travels the reverse route on Sundays, takes place at 4 pm.[57] In 2013, the park introduced Howl-O-Palooza in the Blue Streak plaza. It includes several Halloween attractions for children, including a haunted house named Magical House on Boo Hill, a haybale maze and a Kids' Costume Contest.[58] The Camp Snoopy children's area is transformed into Camp Spooky. The Planet Snoopy children's area is transformed into Planet Spooky.[59] [60]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mazes & Scare Zones. Cedar Point. September 10, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140911094359/https://www.cedarpoint.com/halloweekends/mazes-scare-zones. September 11, 2014.
  2. Web site: Clark. Tony. By the Numbers. Cedar Point. October 7, 2013. September 25, 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140108044633/https://www.cedarpoint.com/blog-article/online-fun/By-The-Numbers. January 8, 2014.
  3. Web site: Schmidt. Walt. Paying respect to lost rides. PointBuzz. October 8, 2012. September 24, 2004.
  4. News: Cedar Point's ride graveyard . Haidet . Ryan . . September 22, 2012 . September 25, 2012 . dead . https://archive.today/20140108034246/http://archive.wkyc.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=261877 . January 8, 2014 .
  5. Web site: HalloWeekends Begins This Friday at Cedar Point . PR Newswire. October 7, 2012. September 12, 2012.
  6. Web site: Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185859/http://www.amusementtoday.com/image/GoldenTicket2005.pdf. September 27, 2007. PDF. Amusement Today . March 17, 2012.
  7. Web site: Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20061016005334/http://www.amusementtoday.com/image/GoldenTicket2006.pdf. October 16, 2006. PDF. Amusement Today . December 22, 2012.
  8. Web site: Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20080530013537/http://www.amusementtoday.com/image/GoldenTicket2007.pdf. May 30, 2008. PDF. Amusement Today . March 17, 2012.
  9. Web site: Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080911112639/http://www.amusementtoday.com/image/GoldenTicket8002.pdf. September 11, 2008 . PDF. Amusement Today . March 17, 2012.
  10. Cedar Fair. Cedar Fair Parks Take Top Honors in Annual Poll. September 8, 2013. September 8, 2013. PR Newswire.
  11. Web site: Haidet . Ryan . Cedar Point cancels HalloWeekends for 2020, announces reduced operating calendar for fall . . September 4, 2020 . August 4, 2020.
  12. Web site: HalloWeekends at The Scare Zone. The Scare Zone. October 7, 2012.
  13. News: Screaming Continues with HalloWeekends . Mike Kelly . Toledo Blade. September 26, 1997 . September 19, 2012.
  14. News: Gore, freaks, treats haunt amusement parks Parks scare kids, adults alike with mazes, festivals. The Gazette. October 4, 1998.
  15. Web site: Haidet . Ryan . Photos: Disaster Transport's final ride . . February 10, 2013 . July 29, 2012 . dead . https://archive.today/20140108034206/http://archive.wkyc.com/news/photo-gallery.aspx?storyid=254268 . January 8, 2014 .
  16. Web site: A rundown of planned Halloween festivities. Vindy. February 10, 2013. September 20, 2001.
  17. Web site: Schmidt. Walt. Cedar Point releases HalloWeekends information . PointBuzz. October 11, 2012. August 19, 2003.
  18. Web site: Schmidt. Walt. Cedar Point's 8th annual HalloWeekends returns. PointBuzz. October 11, 2012. September 9, 2004.
  19. Web site: Schmidt. Walt. HalloWeekends returns at Cedar Point. PointBuzz. October 14, 2012. September 20, 2006.
  20. Web site: Schmidt. Walt. How To Prepare For A Parade — HalloWeekends Style!. PointBuzz. August 15, 2007. October 14, 2012.
  21. Web site: HalloWeekends returns. https://archive.today/20130130022118/http://www.northwestohio.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=187427%23.UEucK-1J-pE. dead. January 30, 2013. WNWO. September 8, 2008. September 18, 2012.
  22. Web site: Cedar Point announces 2008 HalloWeekends information. PointBuzz. October 14, 2008. August 28, 2008.
  23. Web site: HalloWeekends returns with more thrills. https://web.archive.org/web/20140108043250/http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/09/15/idUS163216+15-Sep-2009+PRN20090915. dead. January 8, 2014. PR Newswire. September 15, 2009 . September 18, 2012.
  24. Web site: Big weekends of Fun with HalloWeekends. PR Newswire. September 15, 2010 . September 18, 2012.
  25. News: Chavezblade . Jon . Cedar Point to rename 2 attractions after protests . . August 19, 2011 . April 10, 2012.
  26. Web site: HalloWeekends at Cedar Point. PR Newswire. September 27, 2011 . September 23, 2012.
  27. Web site: Haidet . Ryan . Cedar Point teases about new 2013 attraction . . July 17, 2012 . July 18, 2012 . dead . https://archive.today/20130209191838/http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/252450/3/Cedar-Point-teases-about-new-2013-attraction . 2013-02-09 .
  28. Web site: S.L.. Stoddart. Inside Cedar Point’s Newest Haunted House ‘Eden Musee’. CBS Detroit. October 16, 2012. October 12, 2012.
  29. Cedar Point. Cedar Point Brings "A New Class of Scares" to HalloWeekends. September 12, 2013. September 10, 2013. PR Newswire.
  30. Web site: Haidet . Ryan . Cedar Point opens Zombie High School haunted house for HalloWeekends . . September 13, 2013 . September 13, 2013 . dead . https://archive.today/20140108034117/http://archive.wkyc.com/news/watercooler/article/314116/91/Cedar-Point-HalloWeekends-unearths-the-dead . January 8, 2014 .
  31. Web site: Cedar Point closing 3 HalloWeekends attractions: New haunted houses coming in 2017. WKYC Studios. August 8, 2017 . September 26, 2022.
  32. Web site: Cedar Point pumps up scare tactics. The Detroit News. September 30, 2014 . September 26, 2022.
  33. Web site: Cedar Point's HalloWeekends opens Friday with themed Mine Ride, new haunted houses, return of Midnight Syndicate. Cleveland.com. September 13, 2017 . September 26, 2022.
  34. Web site: Cedar Point makes changes for HalloWeekends: Announces new haunted attractions for 2018. WKYC Studios. August 8, 2018 . September 26, 2022.
  35. Web site: New for 2021!. CP Insiders. November 14, 2022.
  36. Web site: Cedar Point cancels HalloWeekends for 2020, announces reduced operating calendar for fall. WKYC Studios. August 5, 2020 . September 26, 2022.
  37. Web site: Cedar Point cancels HalloWeekends 2020, and announces scaled back fall schedule. Cleveland 19 News. August 4, 2020 . September 26, 2022.
  38. Web site: Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends returns: Zombie High School is out, Banished is in, plus new Thursday hours. Cleveland.com. September 15, 2021 . September 26, 2022.
  39. Web site: A BIGGER and better Blood on the Bayou opens TOMORROW on Adventure Island! Enter from the Frontier Trail… if you dare. . September 23, 2021 . September 26, 2022.
  40. Web site: HalloWeekends stalk Cedar Point’s pathways once again. Attractions Magazine. September 17, 2021 . September 18, 2012.
  41. Web site: Indoor haunted maze among new attractions for 25th anniversary of HalloWeekends at Cedar Point. M Live. September 14, 2022 . September 26, 2022.
  42. Web site: Cedar Point changing 2 haunted attractions for HalloWeekends 2022: See what's new. WKYC . August 24, 2022 . September 26, 2022.
  43. Web site: Schmidt. Walt. Cedar Point now hiring "Screamsters". PointBuzz. October 8, 2012. September 5, 2005.
  44. Web site: Phipps . Jennie . Spend HalloWeekends working at Cedar Point . . September 9, 2011 . September 23, 2012.
  45. Web site: Behind the Scenes at Cedar Point's HalloWeekends. DangerousBiz. September 24, 2010. September 23, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120925175447/http://www.dangerous-business.com/2010/09/behind-the-scenes-at-cedar-points-halloweekends/. September 25, 2012. dead.
  46. http://www.fearnet.com/news/news-article/midnight-syndicate-announces-live-halloween-show-legacy-shadows Midnight Syndicate Announces Live Halloween Show 'Legacy of Shadows'
  47. http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3283875/catch-midnight-syndicate-live-at-cedar-points-halloweekends/ Catch 'Midnight Syndicate Live!' At Cedar Point's HalloWeekends
  48. http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201410/4263/ Review: Midnight Syndicate Live! Legacy of Shadows, at Cedar Point
  49. http://www.ohio.com/blogs/airtime/airtime-1.489637/midnight-syndicate-transforms-cedar-point-s-good-time-theatre-into-the-ghoul-time-theatre-1.525758/ Midnight Syndicate Transforms the Goodtime Theater into the Ghoultime Theater
  50. http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2014/11/cedar_point_to_remove_good_tim.html Cedar Point To Remove Goodtime Theatre
  51. http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/218750/midnight-syndicate-returns-rock-halloween-live/ Midnight Syndicate Returns To Rock Your Halloween Live!
  52. https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/ohio/a-guide-to-everything-new-at-cedar-point-in-2019/95-22b2e31e-79e6-4a58-a21a-5452a1c6964b/ A Guide to Everything New at Cedar Point
  53. https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/09/midnight-syndicate-returns-to-halloweekends-with-plenty-of-new-music-in-store.html Midnight Syndicate returns to HalloWeekends with plenty of new music in store
  54. https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/music-theater-dance/2022/10/29/midnight-syndicate-cedar-point-halloweekends/stories/20221030036 Midnight Syndicate brings the sounds of the season to Cedar Point's HalloWeekends
  55. Web site: Haidet . Ryan . Cedar Point to add 2 attractions in 2012 . https://archive.today/20130209122340/http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/256900/110/Cedar-Point-Two-new-haunted-attractions-for-HalloWeekends . dead . February 9, 2013 . . August 20, 2012 . August 24, 2012 .
  56. Web site: Live Shows during HalloWeekends . Cedar Point . October 7, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121001025812/http://www.cedarpoint.com/daytime/things-to-do/live-shows . October 1, 2012 .
  57. Web site: Monster Midway Invasion Celebration parade . Cedar Point . September 13, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121001025829/http://www.cedarpoint.com/daytime/things-to-do/monster-midway-invasion-celebration . October 1, 2012 .
  58. Web site: Howl-O-Palooza . https://archive.today/20130913213851/https://www.cedarpoint.com/daytime/what-s-new/howl-o-palooza . dead . September 13, 2013 . Cedar Point . September 13, 2013 .
  59. Web site: Planet Spooky . Cedar Point . October 7, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121006014019/http://www.cedarpoint.com/daytime/things-to-do/planet-spooky . October 6, 2012 .
  60. News: Helms . April . New haunted house debuts at HalloWeekends . https://archive.today/20130117232835/http://www.bedfordtimesregister.com/news/article/4907523 . dead . January 17, 2013 . October 7, 2012 . Bedford Times Register . October 7, 2010 .