Midsummer Scream Halloween convention returns with ghoulish frights
Midsummer Scream is making a terrifying comeback after two years off, filling the Long Beach Convention Center with frights from July 29-31, 2022.
The world’s largest Halloween and horror convention is celebrating its fifth anniversary with three days of ghoulish fun.
“As Midsummer Scream returns, we’re putting a renewed focus on what made us love Halloween as kids, and the traditions we’ve continued through our lives,” said David Markland, co-founder and executive director of Midsummer Scream. “That includes the magic of trick-or-treating, celebrating the classic monsters of our childhood, and preserving the history of our favorite holiday.”
Midsummer Scream featured events:
The Hall of Shadows returns, and this year’s theme is “Halloween Comes Home.” Those brave enough to face their fears will step into a darkened realm of fog, haunted attractions, and lurking monsters. Guests can explore mind-bending mazes and displays created by home and professional haunters, including CalHauntS, Fear Farm, Reichland Asylum, Temecula Terror, and Corona Haunt.
“The excitement for the return of Hall of Shadows is palpable,” said Rick West, co-founder and creative director of Midsummer Scream. “The haunters, the fans – everyone is more than ready for this, and these amazing teams are ready to bring it home and create the best Hall of Shadows experience yet. Let’s go!”
“Original Monster Kids” is a Midsummer Scream tradition, and this year features an unprecedented gathering of the Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr./Sr., and Vincent Price families, who will share photos and home movies, and talk about their experiences growing up as the children and grandchildren of horror and pop-culture’s most famous icons.
Also participating in the 2022 event are Winchester Mystery House, LA Haunted Hayride, and legendary horror genre musicians, Composers of the Apocalypse, plus performers and sliders The Decayed Brigade, who will bring their unique brand of sliding prowess and showmanship to the event each day.
Show floor and collections
New this year is Museum of Halloween, a collection of vintage Halloween items, costumes, and original event-specific artwork that celebrates the culture, community, and commercialism of the spooky season.
More than 350 vendors and artists will take to the show floor with a vast collection of shirts and apparel, artwork, masks, posters, toys, oddities, and Halloween and horror lifestyle decorations. Vendors include The Mystic Museum, Tee No Evil, Vamp and the Fiends, Trick Or Treat Studios, Backstitch Bruja, Discount Cemetery, Nocturnal Designz, and Immortal Masks.
Highlights of the show floor are the notable film celebrities, and this year’s event features James Jude Courtney (Michael Myers in Halloween 2018, Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends); Jeff Daniel Philips and Daniel Roebuck (Rob Zombie’s The Munsters); Eileen Dietz (Pazuzu’s face, The Exorcist); Instagram legend Christine McConnell, and YouTubers Dead Meat and Grimm Life Collective.
Along with all the fear, the event includes a bit of fuzzy at the Black Cat Lounge kitten adoption space. Other areas are the kid’s play zone Paranormal Pixie’s Pumpkin Patch, and the Screaming Room Film Festival presented by HorrorBuzz.
Classes and workshops developed in conjunction with university of themed entertainment organizations TEA@USC and TEA@UCLA put the focus on creating haunted attractions and other Halloween skills.
General admission tickets are on sale now at a 40 percent savings, for a limited time. VIP Gold Bat passes are not discounted, and will be available only while supplies last.
Guests holding tickets from the cancelled 2020 event are welcome to redeem them at this year’s event.
