Season’s Screamings is making its debut as a full-blown convention at the Pasadena Convention Center this weekend, showcasing 200 artisans and vendors selling everything from horror-themed apparel and accessories to original pieces of art, costumes, collectibles, make-up effects and supplies.
The producers of the annual Midsummer Screams in Long Beach decided to bring this weekend holiday event to Pasadena and put a spooky twist on Christmas.
The three-day convention kicked off Friday with a Poltergeists and Paramours Christmas Spooktacular, a fun-filled cross between fashion and variety act show at the Convention Center’s main stage ballroom, said Rick West, Midsummer Scream co-founder and Creative Director.
West said Season’s Screamings is one way of saying they’re excited about being able to celebrate as a community one final time in 2021, hoping that the new year would be better than the past two years.
“There is nothing on Earth like the SoCal haunt and horror community,” he said. “Season’s Screamings is our Christmas gift to the fans, hoping that for a few days, we can put our stress and anxieties aside and just enjoy being together and feeling that sense of normalcy that we all want back permanently so much.”
West added his team has worked hard on making this new holiday horror a cornerstone of the Midsummer Scream brand.
“We cannot wait to unleash Krampuses (yes, the evil counterpart to Santa!), evil elves, terrorizing toys, and the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future on everyone for a weekend they’ll never forget,” West said.
The producers promise you’ll find many other not-so-nice surprises, such as scores of spooky stocking stuffers, Jack Frost and his army of dark elves, ghostly carolers and visitations from haunting spirits, and monsters taking a break from winter hibernation at this holiday horror convention.
West said they used to do Season’s Screamings as a simple pop-up event in Hollywood within a large candy store, with a handful of their regular vending partners. The show stopped when the candy store closed.
“We knew it was time to grow the event regardless, so we turned our sights to the Pasadena Convention Center, which we have worked with before over the years,” West continued. “Their team was incredibly enthusiastic about having us hold our event there, so we made the leap; that was at the beginning of this year, I believe. And now, we’re just a matter of hours away from doors opening!”
Season’s Screamings will be a bit smaller than the Long Beach summer convention, but it will still be larger than most conventions of this type, West said.
“We will have more than 200 vendors, a dedicated stage for world-class panels and presentations, thrilling haunts and attractions, and live entertainment including a Krampus procession each day! It’s going to be a very full, very exciting weekend for everyone; the perfect opportunity for last-minute gift shopping for the special goths in your life,” he continued.
The convention will also feature a Hall of Yuletide Spirits, a dark showfloor of holiday-themed haunts and yard displays created by Southern California’s most talented haunted house creators. Programming listed so far include “A Christmas Scarol” by CalHaunts, “The Cabin” from Insane Haunt Productions, “Holiday Fear” by the Dreich Society, “The Holiday Haunt With No Name,” and Fear Farms’ “Gingerbread House of Horrors,” a nightmarish walk through holiday wonderland filled with rotting candy and lurking monsters.
West said guest celebrities will also be on hand, such as Zack Galligan from the “Gremlins” franchise, Butch Patrick, who played Eddie Munster in TV’s “The Munsters,” and Robert Mukes, who’s behind “House of 1000 Corpses.” Mukes will appear as Santa Mukes, a six-foot-ten horror icon version of Ol’ St. Nick ready to meet “those who have been naughty or nice.”
Throughout the weekend, Season’s Screamings will have panels and presentations on the main stage, including the Colors of the Dark podcast with hosts Rebekah McKendry and Elric Kane discussing Holiday Horrors on Film, and The Making of Haunted Mansion Holiday with themed entertainment industry legend Garner Holt.
The Boo Crew podcast will be interviewing Zach Galligan. Other panels include a fascinating discussion about “Krampus: The Devil You Don’t Know,” by Al Ridenour, Krampus LA Founder; and The Making of “Muppets Haunted Mansion,” a panel that includes the special’s director and industry icon Kirk Thatcher.
General Admission tickets are $30 to $35 per day, a Weekend General Admission is $60, and Naughty List VIP tickets are $50 to $55, or $95 for the full weekend.
For more information on programming and to reserve your tickets, visit www.midsummerscream.org/
