About a month ago, we were lucky enough to plan a before school started trip to Cedar Point!! It had been years since my hubby and I had been there with our daughter – BUT this time she was able to ride some of the ‘big kid rides!’ We had a blast! Unfortunately, we were unable to attend the opening weekend of HALLOWEEKENDS but we are planning on heading there at least once this fall! Look at all they have to offer!!
“Double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn and caldron bubble.” If the thought of a group of wicked witches working on a mystical brew sends shivers down your spine, you may want to stop reading now. However, those with no fear of flying broomsticks will delight in the announcement that Cedar Point’s annual festival of fright,HalloWeekends, kicks off its 18th season of thrills and chills this weekend. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever, with even more family friendly fun during the day and frightfully haunting experiences after the sun goes down.
Highlighting the lineup of scares this year will be Hexed, Cedar Point’s new witch-themed haunted house. Decrepit witches and their gaggle of small minions roam around this sinister new attraction working on spells and potions that have gone horribly wrong. Hexed will be located next to the exit of the GateKeeper roller coaster and will be Cedar Point’s fifth haunted house, joining Zombie High School, G. A. Boeckling’s Eerie Estate, Eternity Infirmary and Eden Musee.
Cedar Point’s Frontiertown will transform into a ghost town after dark with the addition of the new Tombstone TERROR-tory. This terrifying new fright zone will leave those brave enough to travel through it with a new fear of ghosts. Tombstone Terror-tory will be the sixth outdoor fright zone, joining other haunted attractions such as Maniacal Mechanical ScreamWorks, CornStalkers, Cut Throat Cove, CarnEvil and Blood on the Bayou.
Spooktacular live (or dead) entertainment also abounds during HalloWeekends. This year’s star attraction will be “Midnight Syndicate LIVE! A Legacy of Shadows.” This musical group from Ohio is known for creating haunting melodies and “soundtracks to imaginary movies” by combining instrumental music and movie-quality sound effects on their albums. Performing live for the first time ever, this performance will blend music, theatre and film into a spellbinding concert that will wow and amaze. But beware; this show may be too intense for younger viewers and those afraid of the dark! Additional HalloWeekends entertainment includes “Sideshow – A Carnival of Magic” in the Jack Aldrich Theatre, “Spooky Shenanigans, A Halloween Hullabaloo” in Lusty Lil’s Palace, “The Edge of Madness…LIVE” in the Red Garter Saloon and “Gypsy Fortune Tellers” in the Enchanted Encampment (near the Gemini roller coaster).
There is plenty of fun for your little ghosts and goblins too. From shows and performances to special areas and attractions just for them, kids will find both tricks and treats during HalloWeekends. New this year will be an expanded Howl-O-Palooza kids’ area, now located along the Wicked Twister Midway and in the Planet Spooky and Kiddy Kingdom children’s areas. Howl-O-Palooza will feature cornstalk and hay bale mazes, pedal tractors, trick-or-treat stations and much more! Kids will also delight in special live entertainment that is suitable for the entire family, including the always-popular “Monster Midway Invasion Celebration” parade, the hit “Skeleton Crew” show in Celebration Plaza, “The Monsters’ Trick-or-Treat” and “Peanuts’ Halloween Show & Kids’ Costume Contest” on the Howl-O-Palooza stage, “The Pumpkin Patch Party with the Peanuts” in the Camp Spooky Theatre and “Snoopy’s Halloween Hijinks” in the Planet Snoopy Gazebo.
Looking for the ultimate HalloWeekends experience? Then Fright Lane is just for you. Fright Lane allows guests to bypass the lines at all five of Cedar Point’s haunted houses and the CornStalkers fright zone. And if that weren’t enticing enough, Fright Lane includes access to an exclusive Skeleton Key Room in each haunted house that is only available for them to enter. But be warned, all who dare to venture in may not escape!
Cedar Point celebrates HalloWeekends from 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday nights, 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays through Nov. 1. For more information, log on to HalloWeekends.com…if you dare!
