Don’t be alarmed next weekend if you see demons or zombies in downtown Los Angeles; it’s not the Apocalypse – it’s ScareLA! Now in its second year, ScareLA is a large-scale convention held each August for Halloween fans, professional haunters, and anyone in between that loves everything associated with the spooky holiday!
Producers David Markland, Lora Ivanova, Johanna Atilano and Rick West each bring something unique to the annual event. David is a seasoned event producer by trade, Lora has a strong background in marketing, and MiceChat readers may know Johanna and Rick as the owners of Theme Park Adventure, which has pioneered media coverage of haunted attractions here in the Southland for the past 20 years. Between the four, the ScareLA team has secured more than 125 show floor vendors, a wide assortment of workshops and professionals from around the United States, half a dozen interactive on-site attractions, and a world-class lineup of panels and presentations, including designers from Knott’s Berry Farm, Queen Mary, and Universal Studios Hollywood.
A Disney Connection
One of the most special aspects of this year’s ScareLA convention is that it kicks off on August 9th, which many of you will no doubt recognize as the 45th Anniversary of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. To mark the event, ScareLA will begin this year with a presentation called “When Hinges Creak: Celebrating 45 Years of The Haunted Mansion”. The presentation will be hosted by Jeff Baham of Doombuggies.com, and will feature rare images of the iconic attraction from the past 45 years. Joining Jeff on stage will be Disney Legends Bob Gurr, who helped develop the Omnimover system for WED Enterprises, and Alice Davis, who will represent the great Marc Davis, who was responsible for many of the Mansion’s famous characters and scenes, including the elusive Hatbox Ghost.
This is something that every Haunted Mansion fan will not want to miss, and a perfect way to begin the weekend-long event, which will have Haunted Mansion homages at every turn, from vendor merchandise to the special Saturday night party, dubbed ScareLA’s Ghostly Gala, which is being produced by Sinister Pointe Productions!
More Theme Park Fun
MiceChatters love the Halloween events here in Southern California, and should be aware of another really amazing presentation that will take place at ScareLA. It’s called “Making Monsters”, and will feature the individuals responsible for bringing an army of undead to life each night at Knott’s Scary Farm, Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, and Universal Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights! This is a big deal; never before have these attractions come together on one stage as one group. It’s safe to say that ScareLA’s 500-seat presentation theater will likely fill up for these special panels very quickly!
Closing out the convention Sunday afternoon is another cannot-miss presentation. “Garner Holt: I was a Teenage Haunter” will be hosted by Doug Barnes of the Season Pass Podcast, and will be a heart-felt discussion with Garner about his career as the world’s leading designer and maker of Audio-Animatronic figures for such attractions as Radiator Springs Racers, Mystic Manor, and very recently, the Timber Mountain Log Ride and Calico Mine Ride at Knott’s Berry Farm. Garner began his multi-award-winning career as a teen building haunted attractions in the Inland Empire. Later, his company would help create the very first Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay for Disneyland. This intimate chat with Garner Holt will be the perfect end to a spooky fun-filled weekend in Los Angeles, and will see thousands of Halloween and theme park fans converging on The Reef (formerly LA Mart).
SCARE UP YOUR TICKETS NOW!
Tickets to the event are on sale now at www.ScareLA.com. There are multi-tiered options available, and each is explained on the website. MiceChat fans can receive 20% off when buying tickets online (General Admission and Fear Freak levels) by entering the special promo code MICESCARE at checkout! Follow ScareLA on Twitter at @ScareLosAngeles and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ScareLAcon, and on Instagram at @ScareLosAngeles.
ScareLA has something for everyone, and is going to be the perfect way to spend the Haunted Mansion’s anniversary weekend with fellow Halloween and theme park fans! We can’t wait!
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