Where to go for Halloween fun

I have searched the net with google and have found very little info on Fright Fest at SFGAdv. Even the official SF site doesn't say much about the event. It is a good Four hour drive from my home and if it isn't a good quality event, I could make other plans.

For those who have attended this event previous years, is it as good as, say, Cedar Point's Halloweekends? How many haunted houses have they had in the past, and were they elaborate of cheezy? Is the park well decorated or is it just a few cornstalks tied around poles? Are most of the coasters open normally durring this event? Are Fright Fest weekends as busy as summer weekends?

The vagueness of the event's info on the official site makes me wonder if it is some kind of half organized rip-off. Will I get a day of quality entertainment or just a half of the parks coasters, some teenagers dressed like Freddy Kruger screaming in my face, and some hey?

As the threads title suggests, Is there a better Amusement Park Halloween event in or near PA?

Thank you for your replies.

*** Edited 8/12/2004 2:56:42 AM UTC by dexter***

I don't know about during fright fest but i do know Gadv is not gonna have a full time haunted house ever again after the last one they had caught fire and killed some patrons. I would think they just do a Haunted park type thing after the haunted house fire but i may be wrong.

Phantom Fright Nights at Kennywood are cool. All 5 major coasters will be open this year and there will be a new maze in Lost Kennywood. Every year they have added atleast one new maze since it started 3 years ago, this being the third year. The have a wicked 3D clown maze, a maze in the Parkside Cafe, a maze in the penny arcade building, a maze in the back of the park by Kiddieland that is themed to an abandoned fort, and a haunted cemetary by the Gran Prix. All in all, I've enjoyed it every time I've gone and think it is worth the money.

Exterminator???!!!???? Opened during Fright Nights this year???!!!??? Oh yea. I'll be hitting Kennywood the nite before PPP for sure this time. That was the only major credit I need @ Kennywood. Plus Phantom and Thunderbolt @ nite? Heck yea! I might even do a haunted house or so this time.

I'm not sure where in PA you're located, but Lake Compounce in Bristol, CT (its 3 hours from Bristol to Allentown, PA) has one of the best Halloween events on the East coast. Their Haunted Graveyard has won numerous awards year after year. I went to SF Gadv last year for Fright Fest and yeah, the themeing is great, but as far as the attractions, they don't come close to the Lake. While Lake Compounce does not go all out in decorating the entire park, the Haunted Graveyard is a must for anyone who lives on the East coast. Plus, Boulder Dash at night, with it usually a walk-on is something hard to pass up.

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dexter said:

As the threads title suggests, Is there a better Amusement Park Halloween event in or near PA?

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The Phall Phoenix Phunfest at Knoebels is a fun event. People always rave that is is one of the best events of the year. Nothing like people dressing up in costumes and riding the coasters and other rides.

Coasterpunk,

I had PPP in mind, but I am looking for some haunted houses and Halloween themed shows. Even though I am sure it's a fun event, I don't care for Knoeblels.

Lost Phantom, Kennywood Phantom Fright Nights sounds like a really great event. I am relunctant to go because I have already been to Kennywood this year. I'm thinking about saving that for next year.

Dude, If Lake Compounce is as close as you say, I'll have to go sometime.

My plans are up in the air right now. SF sounds good to me because I haven't been there in ages. I wish their website had info like the names of the shows and haunts. Maybe I will call them and ask for info.

If I ran SF, the info would be on the site for people like me to discover so that I wouldn't have to ask about it on Coasterbuzz.

*** Edited 8/12/2004 5:27:56 AM UTC by dexter***

Cedar Point's Halloweekends...hmmm...well, they USED to be good ;) Now it's just more of a family thing.

Anyway my top 5 favorite...and BEST Halloween events are by far:

5) Phall Phunfest
4) Knott's Scary Farm
3) Kennywood
2) Six Flags Worlds of Adventures Fright Fest (who knows how Geauga Lakes The Haunt will be this year with Cedar Fair at the helm)
1) Universal Florida...and even BIGGER this year!

As for #2 I REALLY hope CF keeps the Knott's feel over here and doesn't tone it down like they did with CP a few years ago. CP was AWESOME until they toned down the scary factor and A LOT of theming. I personally think they should market CP for the family halloween stuff and GL for the more teens/colleg/and older crowd like Knott's Scary Farm.

As for all the Ohio Haunted Parks and Kennywood's Phantom nights check:

HERE

That should help you with any info/pictures/etc. you might want. :)
*** Edited 8/12/2004 5:31:26 AM UTC by RollerCoasterGod***

In the York, PA area there are 2 haunted attractions. Although they don't have anything to do with amusement parks they are probably pretty cool.

The Haunted Mill

Field Of Screams

Both have several attractions and take at least 2 hours to go thru everything.

GO TO BGW!!! GO THERE!! YOU WILL NOT BE Disappointed! SFGADV fright fest is horrible! Don't wait in the 4 hour long hay ride. Its really not good at all and is a big let down. I'm actually gonna check out Dorney's Hallo weekend this year.

BGW is amazing at Halloween time. IT seriously is, I go ever year! Super AMAZING!

I'll also vouch for the Haunted Graveyard at Lake Compounce. We went last year, post PPP, and had a great time. It is very well done and takes about an hour or so to walk through. Boulder Dash at night rocks hard as well. Hallowscream at BGW is good as well but isn't anywhere in the same league at the event down in BGT (although that is set up as a seperate event from the normal park operations, so it's understandable). Also, I believe that Hershey is starting it's own more adult Halloween event this year that is seperate from the park. *** Edited 8/12/2004 1:35:44 PM UTC by Pale Rider***

If I remember correctly, there aren't any haunted houses so to speak at SFGAdv. That's probably why there is little info about it. The park is decorated for Halloween and there was one show that I can remember, but other than that, nothing. Oh, they had a haunted hayride or something to that effect.

I'll second Kennywood's Phantom Fright Nights. With 6 haunted mazes, the park totally decked out with fog, eerie lights and music, creatures walking around, props everywhere and all 5 major coasters open this year, you can't go wrong for $18.50 ($15.50 if you buy tickets at Blockbuster). We'll be there the night before PPP also.

I went to SFGADV's Fright Fest last year. It was pathetic. Anything would be an improvement.

Check out hauntfreaks.com. They review haunted houses in the mid-Atlantic area.

I'll third Kennywood's Phantom Fright Nights.

As mentioned above there are 6 mazes...which the sixth one is new this year, called Gorky Park which will be located in Lost Kennywood going up to the Exterminator. The Exterminator I heard should have some surprises inside for only PFN:)

There's 15 rides that will be open for PFN.

You can see the list here>

http://kennywood.coasterbuzz.com/forums.aspx?mode=thread&TopicID=595&page=1

ALL of the rides that are open for PFN, have something done to them, wether if it's lighting or fog...it's definitly a new ride during PFN.

Loriu and Anastasia, So SFGdv's Fright fest is pathetic. Just a Heyride and a show? Thanks for the heads up.

Crashmando, I wanted to go to BGW but it is just too far away; about 7 or 8 hours away. I have heard good things about it and their website is very well done and infomative. Maybe some other year.

Coasterpunk, I am planning on checking out a lot of non-park haunts this year as well. I have heard of those Two Haunts before and I will now include them in my plans. PPP may be in my plans as well.

Pale Rider, I find it very interesting that you say that Hershey is going to have a more adult haunt event this year. I love HersheyPark and would like nothing more than to see this come true. I do not like the idea of a non-scary Halloween event for kids; that's not what Halloween is all about for me. Where did you read or hear about this?

The rest of you, Kennywood is startin to sound really good. I was going to put it off until next year but I am starting to change my mind.

Thanks.

Shady Brook Farms in Yardly is an awesome Haunted house. They have a bunch of things. A haunted Barn,Alien encounter,Corn Field Maza and a kick ass hay ride. I think a wrist band to do them all is $15. Its got a big bond fire and all kinds of stuff as well as live entertainment. Check that I go there every year.

I just got my first Hersheypark newsletter today in the mail. It just has a little 3 X 3 inch thing about it. It's a new haunted attraction for teens and young adults. It's also an up charge attraction as well. It's called Haunted Harvest. Nothing else is really mentioned about it.

Only if Hershey could get a real dark ride. Too bad they couldn't do a Scooby Doo themed ride themed to the ice cream factory episode but only as a Chocloate factory.

I first heard about the Haunted Harvest when I saw a little pamphlet about it when I was in the park last month. It was probably the same one that Coasterpunk received in the mail. Here is the online link for it: http://www.hersheypa.com/events/halloween_in_hershey/index.html
I'm wondering if it will be opening the same weekend as the Hershey Park in the Dark stuff? I really wish that it would open earlier, as I would like to check it out when I'm up visiting the family and attending the PPP.

The Haunted Mill near York, PA was really good last year (it was our first time). The two indoor walk-throughs were very good (although I think the actual Old Mill was the weaker of the two). The two outdoor walk-throughs, particularly the hay field, left you feeling very vunerable, especially since we were the only two people out on the course. The only thing that sucked was the hay ride. They have a package deal that includes all five attractions for around $20, or you can pay by attraction.

Lake Compounce's celebration must be good, because they were already advertising for it in front of Boulder Dash in July. The maze looked pretty big also.

Haunted Harvest...
http://www.hauntedharvest.com

Also... I think they're looking for a few good people to scare peeps.
http://www.hersheyjobs.com

mz.