Here we go, first spooky blog post of the season! I feel like I've overdosed on Halloween already this year and it's not even October yet, but I can't help myself, it really is my most favourite time of the year. As long-time readers of this blog will know, every year I try to cram as much Halloween goodness into this most wonderful of seasons, always trying to do at least one new-for-me event every year. But, much like my theme park travel aspirations, I've always got the bigger picture in mind with larger 'destination' events on my list waiting to be ticked off. And every year when I plan my trips I do try to slowly chip away at this most wanted list. But that doesn't mean there's not some still left for me to visit, so that's what we're chatting about today. Here's my Halloween event bucket list!
For reasons unbeknown to me, in recent years I've found myself on the mailing list for Dark Harbour's press releases, and like a weirdo I pore over every single one I receive just imagining the glorious terror they're delivering with every event. With the ship itself dripping in ghost stories and a rich, horrific history all its own what more perfect setting could there be for a horror event? I might be completely wrong, as like with theme parks I try not to look too much into what these events entail as opposed to a top-line view, but to me this looks like a Shocktoberfest style event but California coast style. The quality of the costuming and make-up looks next level, the mazes look innovative and terrifying and the setting itself sets it off with a truly innovative flair. I would kill to go to this event and that's exactly my plan come 2021!
This event looks...weird as fuck, to be honest with you. This is a SUPER niche reference, but in Pocahontas 2 there's a really strangely animated scene with bear baiting and it's always set off this deep sense of unease in the pit of my stomach, and what I've seen of Peur Sur Le Parc at Parc Asterix has exactly the same effect on me. I think it's the grotesquerie of the costume design. It's twisted and wacky and doesn't seem to do any conventional Halloween or scare stuff, which is so refreshing when you've done quite a lot of these things! Plus, I really need to experience this park after dark as I would love to know what the likes of Oz'Iris and Tonnerre de Zeus ride like at night. I absolutely adore Parc Asterix as a park as it is so I can only dream of how wonderful it is all dolled up in its Halloween best! Plus I could pair it with a spooky haunt around Disneyland Paris...
I often recount to myself how lucky UK scare fans are to have such a rich and varied selection of haunts to visit every Halloween season in our own country. It's almost too much and trying to cram them all in is nigh on impossible! And being the southern gal I am, finding the time/annual leave/strength to travel allll the waaayyyyy to Yorkshire has always been too tricky for me to figure out so far. Next year I'm swearing to myself that I will, come hell or high water, do the Yorkshire scare stuff. But specifically Farmageddon. Honestly, obviously I've heard great things about the place in general but it's the name of the thing that captured my intrigue the most. If their scares and mazes are half as innovative as the name itself then surely we're on to a winner!
Often cited as being the daddy of the theme park Halloween event, what's not to be excited for with Knott's Scary Farm? Until Halloween Horror Nights, Knott's were the leaders of the haunt scene and pretty much everything we know about Halloween events stems from Knott's as the first. And again, the place's reputation precedes it - I have heard nothing but excellence of this event and from the sounds of it it delivers in both innovation and extreme scares that I absolutely adore in a Halloween event. And again, I need those rides at night - the mixture of world class haunts and awesome coasters is one I absolutely need in my life. Roll on Halloween 2021!
I stumbled across this event a few years ago by stalking through the #halloween tag on Facebook and I fell in love instantly. It looks more like a spooky art project than your typical haunt but oh my god it just oozes Halloween from every single angle. It makes my heart flutter with spook filled joy every time I pore over photo after photo of the place on Instagram, just dreaming of what a perfect autumnal terrifying place it is. To me this place is perfection and even just thinking about it now I'm beaming from ear to ear - I can't even begin to imagine what I'm going to be like when I finally make my pilgrimage for my 30th birthday next year. It'll be like all my Halloween hopes and dreams come true!
Of course, there are thousands more events for me to visit and more and more opening every year, but these are the absolutely top of the list for me. And it's not as if they're at the ends of the earth or too difficult to get to, it's more a case of timing and money. Give me a few years and I'm sure I'll be writing a new list with an entirely new set of haunts I want to visit.
Talk later xoxo,
 Here we go, first spooky blog post of the season! I feel like I've overdosed on Halloween already this year and it's ...){kind=link}
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