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Industry News

 
Haunts Giving Back

The third annual House of Four Scythes Haunted Attraction in Cumming, Georgia raised $40,000 for the American Cancer Society and $4,650 for other local organizations. For the first time, in addition to their standard operating schedule of the last two weeks in October,  the haunt operated every night of the Cumming Fair (October 7th - 17th). “Being open during the [Cumming Fair] was an exciting change for us. Although it did pose some new challenges and a longer schedule, it afforded us an opportunity to entertain a larger and more far-reaching audience,” said organizers of the House of Four Scythes. “Once again, this year, our team of hard-working volunteers came together, and with their time and talents, we successfully were able to make generous donations to ACS, as well as some other local organizations." 

Home haunter Dan Earls of Juneau, Alaska donated more than 1,500 pounds of food to local food pantries from his 2021 Halloween haunt. Instead of paying an admission fee, visitors to the yard and garage display were asked to bring non-perishable food items. The people of Juneau delivered, dropping off over 1,563 pounds of canned goods & non-perishable food - just below Earls' goal of 1,800 pounds. The Earls family are immensely grateful for the turn-out and hope that the spirit of giving to local food banks continues throughout the holiday season.
 
Retail

According to the NPD Group, overall Halloween costume & accessory sales increased 4% compared to 2020. While total sales were still down 13% compared to pre-pandemic 2019 sales (possibly driven by shipping delays and lack of inventory), certain categories - such as teen/adult accessories & prosthetics - nearly reached their 2019 levels. The Children's Costumes & Dress-Up category increased 7% from 2020. Rubie's took the top 3 spots for Halloween costume sales this year with their Jurassic World Inflatable T-Rex Costume, Batman Muscle Chest Costume, and Spider-Man Toddler Costume. Fun World's Bleeding Ghost Face Costume came in fourth place and Disguise's Power Rangers Dino Fury Muscle Halloween Costume took fifth place.
 
COVID's Impact
 
On Thursday, November 18th, Los Angeles Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer noted that LA county seems to have avoided a post-Halloween spike in COVID cases. The rolling average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 0.9% as of Friday. Officials attribute this success to higher numbers of vaccinated residents and other precautions, but still warn residents that case numbers may rise during the upcoming Thanksgiving and winter holidays. Ferrer urged individuals to receive booster doses of vaccine and not to let the Halloween season success lead them to be lax about virus prevention practices.

U.S. Haunts & Holiday Events

Various 13th Floor Haunted House locations across the country are reopening Dec 17-18 for their annual Krampus event. Visit your local 13th Floor for details.

For the second year, Krewe of Krampus will convert their annual Krampus NOLAuf parade into a drive-through event. Although New Orleans did open up for parades in late October, the Krewe decided that with the tight timing it would be best to stick with their COVID-safe drive-through plan for 2021. They do, however, have plans to use some of what they have learned from their COVID pivots to enhance their event for next year when they return to a walking parade. “The walking style parade is our preferred format," said Krewe of Krampus captain Mike Esordi, "but rather than just getting back to ‘normal’ we will use this new knowledge to design a walking parade that uses the best of both styles... This approach, I’m certain, will allow us to do something absolutely amazing in 2022.” This year's drive-through event will take place December 4th from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite starting at $20 per car.

The Dent Schoolhouse haunted attraction is celebrating Christmas with the return of their popular "A Christmas Nightmare" event. Charlie the Janitor - now “Santa Charlie” - has decorated the entire attraction with garland, lights, presents, and Christmas trees. New holiday monsters have taken over the attraction to bring a grizzly twist on this beloved holiday. Visitors will face a scary Santa's judgment - are you naughty or nice? This year's event runs December 10th & 11th from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Tickets start at $25 for general admission and can be purchased online

Celebrate the holidays with chills and thrills - tickets are now on sale for Season's Screamings, the holiday event from the team at Midsummer Scream. Making its debut for the first time at the Pasadena Convention Center December 17th – 19th, 2021, Season’s Screamings will showcase more than 200 exhibitors, mini haunts & displays in the Hall of Yuletide Spirits, live entertainment, celebrity guests, and a stage with panels & presentations throughout the three-day event. General Admission tickets are $30-$35 for one-day admission or $50 for weekend admission. "Naughty List" VIP tickets are $50-$55 for one-day admission or $95 for weekend admission. Purchase your ticket online before they sell out!
 
New Dark Ride Coming to California

Historic Cannery Row in Monterey Bay, California will be home to a new dark ride. Sally Dark Rides will partner with Daniels Wood Land to create Treasure Hunt - The Ride, a standalone attraction based on real-life California pirate Hippolyte Bouchard. The 8,145 square-foot attraction will occupy the basement of 700 Cannery Row in Monterey Bay and is set to open in 2022.
 
Scary Play
 
In the Recreational Fear Lab in Denmark, scientists have conducted research exploring how scary experiences can contribute to a child's development. "Scary" children's games (like hide & seek, rough-and-tumble play, or playing in the dark) teach children to anticipate and manage a soft jump in their fear - similar to what they will experience at moments throughout their lives. Adults experience similar benefits with horror movies or haunted houses. A moderate scare can give us an opportunity to learn how our bodies respond to certain situations and help us be more prepared to manage those responses in better ways if they happen again.
 
Film & TV

A haunted attraction is at the center of a new horror film coming to Digital HD and VOD Tuesday, November 23rd. Autumn Road, directed by Riley Cusick follows a young woman who returns to her hometown to make peace with her unresolved past ten years after her sister vanishes while trick-or-treating. Along the way, she becomes entangled with two idiosyncratic identical twins from her childhood who now run the town’s roadside haunted house. The three haunted souls soon find themselves on a melancholic journey for truth set against the backdrop of the Halloween season. Autumn Road will be available on various digital and cable platforms, including iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, Comcast, Dish, and Shaw.
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Call for Submissions
Do you have a holiday season event in the coming weeks? The Haunted Attractions Network would love to hear about your plans! Please send us your videos, photos, or articles and we will share them around social. Simply reply to this e-mail and send us your event's information.

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Haunted Attraction Industry News for Nov 16th
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Upcoming Events: November 2021 - January 2022
December 17 - 18: Season's Screamings (Pasadena, California)
January 11 - 13: Halloween & Party Expo (Las Vegas, Nevada)
January 21 - 23: Fear Expo (Owensboro, Kentucky)
Were you forwarded this e-mail? Subscribe to the Haunted Attraction Network newsletter to receive the latest haunt & Halloween industry news in your inbox each week. View our past newsletters here.

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