It's Halfway to Halloween week, and haunters nationwide are celebrating. The Spooky Swap Meet is taking over Heritage Square Museum in LA, the East Coast Haunters Convention kicks off this week in Oaks, Pennsylvania, and it's also the opening weekend of Universal Fan Fest Nights, where Universal Monsters are headlining.
In this issue:
-East Coast Haunters Convention Guide
-Spooky Swap Meet This Weekend
-Fan Fest Nights Food and Merchandise Lineup
-Six Flags Reinstates Park Presidents at 10 Parks
-Field of Screams Halfway to Halloween Music Fest
-Creep It Real OC Announces September Return
-Universal Horror Unleashed Panel at Monsterpalooza

Read more here

The East Coast Haunters Convention is less than two weeks out, and this week's HAN newsletter has your full guide to haunt tours, the show floor, seminars, and the Saturday night party at Shocktoberfest. Build season is picking up, and we're booking Vendor Spotlight Videos on the ECHC floor.
Also this week: Disney cut 1,000 jobs across marketing and publicity while parks and live entertainment went untouched, Home Depot dropped its 2026 Halloween lineup in April, and Dorney Park faces a negligent hiring lawsuit tied to a Halloween Haunt employee.In this issue:

1. Your Guide to the East Coast Haunters Convention
2. Disney Lays Off 1,000, Theme Parks Untouched
3. Dorney Park Sued for Negligent Hiring
4. Disney Patents a Heat Exposure Prediction System
5. Home Depot Releases New 2026 Props
6. Thirteenth Floor Hiring for CA Scenic Shop
7. Haunters Toolbox Live Session with Spooky World
8. Creep I.E. Aftermath Tickets on Sale

https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/echc-retail-creep-and-1000-disney-layoffs

TransWorld's Halloween & Attractions Show wrapped up Sunday in St. Louis, and this week's newsletter is dedicated to the full recap. We spoke with 16 vendors across the show floor, where the trend toward retailtainment was impossible to miss: booths are becoming experiences. We also covered the OSCARES (record attendance this year), a new HAA president, and an insurance conversation the industry can't avoid.
In this issue:
- 16 Vendor Spotlights from the Show Floor
- OSCARES 2026 Winners
- HAA Elects New President, Approves Bylaws Change
- State of the Industry (With Full Audio)
- TransWorld Announces 2027 Dates
- Halloween Horror Nights 35 Tickets on Sale

Read the stories here

Held annually at TransWorld's Halloween & Attractions Show, the State of the Industry Seminar brings together HAA board members, haunt owners, operators, and vendors for a candid look at the past season and the challenges ahead. Moderated by outgoing President Jim Werner (Pennhurst Asylum), this year's discussion covered the ongoing insurance crisis, AI's impact on search and operations, and a push for collaboration over competition. Read our full recap here.

TransWorld's Halloween & Attractions Show kicks off this week in St. Louis. Whether you're heading to the show floor or following from home, here's what the industry is talking about heading into the biggest week of the year.
Also this week:- Halloween Horror Nights 35 Reveals First Haunted House and Returning Icons- Jana Partners Pushes Six Flags to Explore Sale- Sesame Workshop Sues United Parks to Terminate Licensing Agreement- Carowinds Brings The Conjuring: Beyond Fear to Spring Break with First-Ever Scream Break- HAA Proposes Bylaws Changes That Would Open Board Seat to Non-Owner/Operators- Minecraft World Announced for Chessington World of Adventures in 2027- Funland to Renovate Haunted Mansion Ride- Horror at Hinchingbrooke House Cancelled Due to School Grounds Damage
https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/transworld-week-is-here

TransWorld's Halloween & Attractions Show returns to St. Louis next week with 450+ exhibitors, dozens of seminars, and a full week of industry events. We put together a guide to help you navigate it all.
Also this week:- Travis Kelce Signs On as Six Flags Brand Ambassador- New State Lease Terms Put Old Joliet Haunted Prison's Future in Question- Will Attractions Be Impacted by Conflict in the Middle East?- Limited-Time Savings on Universal Horror Unleashed Tickets- Wicked New England Returns to Salem With Year-Two Expansion- Slashers Axe Throwing Hosts 2nd Annual Purge Night Tournament. 

Read more: http://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/the-haunt-industry-descends-on-st-louis-next-week

It's March, and that means convention season for the haunted attraction industry is upon us! This week: Preview the floor plans for TransWorld's Halloween & Attractions Show, coming up March 26th - 29th in St. Louis; Midsummer Scream Tickets On Sal; East Coast Haunters Convention Haunt Tour Tickets On Sale; Texas Haunters Convention Registration Open; United Parks Reports Declining Revenue Amid Stock Buybacks; Dark Masquerade Returns to Queen Mary in March; Distortions Unlimited Reveals Frankenstein  Animatronic. Read the stories here.

Six Flags is rethinking seasonal events after cancelling Christmas lead to an estimated loss of 425,000 visitors. Also this week:- Imminent Doom Haunted House wins OSCARES Best New Haunt Award. Read the news here 

The 2026 OSCARES Award winners have been announced, honoring excellence across the haunted attraction industry ahead of the March 28th ceremony at TransWorld.
Also this week: Glenwood Caverns Files for Bankruptcy After $116M Verdict; Dark Masquerade Returns in March After Sold-Out Debut; Derry Halloween Proposes Ticketing System for 40th Anniversary; East Coast Haunters Convention Announces Haunt Tours; HAA Live Auction Moves to Thursday Night; Midsummer Scream Haunter Pass Applications Open; 7 Gates Screampark Rebrands as Pine Street Horror. Read more here

D'Amaro is Disney's new CEO, underscoring that Disney's future runs through physical experiences rather than linear media; we explain why this will benefit Halloween events.
Also this week: Spooky Swap Meet Tickets on Sale; Runway Showcase at TransWorld's Halloween & Attractions Show; East Coast Haunters Convention Announces Haunt Tours; 3rd Annual Halfway to Halloween Festival Comes to Rancho Jurupa Park; Six Flags Restructures Season Passes Into Regional Tiers; Haunted Calgary Delivers Ghoulish Greetings for Valentine's Day. Read more here