Photo Feature:
ChiIL Mama's Adventures at Fright Fest
Here at ChiIL Mama we adore Halloween. It's our family's favorite holiday. We're also huge fans of Six Flags Great America. So Fright Fest was a given. We highly recommend checking it out at least once a season. If you have littles or even adults who freak out easily, go early and stay through the parade at 6pm. It's fun and low scare, and the only thing creepy is some of the decor. After the parade however, BEWARE.
Many of these sweet shots were taken by my 14yo son, Dugan! Favorites are embedded below, at the bottom of this feature.
We had a screaming good time and highly recommend it!
ChiIL Tips:
Come early to avoid bigger crowds and hit the long line rides like big coasters early. Though do note, most of the Halloween shows start after 6pm.
Water rides like the log flumes and rafts are done for the season but just about everything else is up and running except the train which is down till 6pm and runs 1 way after that, due to huge demand. This just means you have to get off at the other stop and get back in line if you want to ride back. That said, it's a great way to see a host of creeps, each in their own sections, without a ton of walking, or if you have a family member who's a bit freaked out getting stalked by characters.
Travel in packs. There's "safety in numbers" once the scares start. If you do have a kid who freaks out at the after 6pm creeps, remind them that the characters are just actors and can NOT touch them. Once we were all together, the tweens and teens in our group enjoyed being scared into shrieks and running from ghouls. Though they just about pulled the adults over more than once, clinging to us and trying to run away simultaneously.
More Fun With Friends: Though we all split up like Scooby Doo looking for a clue, we made a plan to come the same day/time as several other families.
What we dug:
The decorations, shows and overall playful terror vibe were great. And we love the rides year round.
We adored the extreme Cavalcade of the Odd show with fire breathing, sword swallowing, walking on glass, and more. Just don't try this at home, kids! Note-you can hang out after the show and get photos with the guys and their knives!
The characters were excellent and put their hearts and souls into scares. They can smell your fear and we saw them going for the weak and doing some excellent tag team multi scares on the screamers and runners!
Cool free Nook downloads.
Watch out for:
They mean it when they say "NO MERCY" this year. We saw a teen girl in a near catatonic state with her button up entirely over her face, who was so terrified her friend begged security to escort them out of the park. Her BFF piggy backed her out. Fright Fest will tell you who your true friends are, that's for sure!
Even the two brave 12 year olds we had along were pretty freaked out by the freaks and had to be "rescued" from the arcade where they got trapped by ax wielding zombie stalkers. The girls had planned to squeeze in 1 more big coaster and meet us at a designated spot to watch the parade, but the lines ran long and they were too flipped out to run the zombie gauntlet to our meeting place together. Yay for cell phones.
Scary looooooong ride lines can be expected as the day progresses.
Bad puns abound in the rock musical, but if you're expecting cheese, and you're a fan of amusement park genre crowd pleasers, than go already. Rocky Horror tunes and Halloween standards along with lame sports jokes and hokey nods to pop tune lyrics and dance moves. Aside from a bit of language the big musical is fine for most kids. Want to meet the cast and snap photos with them? Head out to the pavilion across from the entrance after the show.
Fright Fest runs weekends through November 1. Hours are Fridays 5 p.m.-11 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m.-midnight, Sundays 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and Columbus Day 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. Fright Fest remains family-friendly until 6 p.m. with the children’s areas as scare-free zones and a trick-or-treat trail in Apocalypse.
2016 Season Passes are now on sale and provide unlimited visits for the rest of the 2015 season (including Fright Fest) and all of the 2016 season. For a limited time, with the purchase of a Season Pass four-pack, guests will receive a free upgrade to a Gold Season Pass, which includes free admission and free season parking to any Six Flags theme park with every pass. Season Passes must be purchased and processed at the park by November 1, 2015.
Fall and the Halloween season are favorites of ours here at ChiIL Mama. In fact, back in the day BC (before children) I worked in a haunted house for 3 seasons as Carrie & a bloody bride, making adults pee their pants and run screaming into walls. Fun times! If you like chills & thrills too, get on over to Fright Fest at Six Flags Great America this month. Whether you're a coaster junkie, or a fan of macabre shows, people watching, and a "bag holder" for the brave and crazy family members, this season has plenty to please. ChiIL Mama will be there... will YOU?! Tag your photos and check out ours at #FrightFest #NoMercy.
13 Fright Fest Facts:
- 250 zombies and monsters lurk the midways and haunted attractions
- 30 master make-up artists use 2,500 ounces of make-up and fake blood to transform actors each night
- 25 pounds of food-grade, red vegetable dye create the blood-tinged reflection pond
- 100 flaming torches create an eerie glow over the entire park
- 300 bales of hay add to the fall atmosphere
- 25,200 stalks of corn complete the festive park décor
- 4.5 tons of pumpkins and 160 yards of mulch form the “thrills by day” atmosphere
- 1,000 gallons of fog juice generate the mysterious rising fog effect throughout the park
- 1,600 yards of cheese cloth are used to give the illusion of spider webs around the park
- Love at First Fright, Fright Fest’s trademark musical, kicks off its 25th season
- Over 1,250 minutes per Fright Fest day is spent applying make-up by 15 make-up artists
- Tiny, the 200 pound spider, has been perched on the American Eagle for 22 years
- A 53 foot, 600 pound gorilla claims the Sky Trek Tower each Fright Fest season signaling the start of the uprising
Thrills By Day
Character Candy Trail – Little ghouls can trick-or-treat In the Mardi Gras area every Saturday and Sunday.
Kid Friendly Themed Areas – Scare-free zones like Camp Cartoon, Kidzopolis and Hometown Park are perfect for families with young children. These areas are open on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Love At First Fright – Fright Fest’s trademark award-winning family musical is back for its 25th smash season! Join Jack and Katie on their dare to spend a night in the cemetery.
Fright By Night
NOX – NEW – Nox is the newest member to the Fright Fest Character lineup. As the overlord of Fright Fest, Nox will oversee all 300 characters in the park and reside in the Gates of Hell. Nox’s character was developed by Six Flags Great America in tandem with Anthony Kosart from syfy’s Face Off.
Gates of Hell – NEW – Nox is looking for more souls to take and if you are brave you can enter his realm in the Gates of Hell. The Gates of Hell features 6 different haunted experiences in one all surrounded by the House of Torment which Nox calls home. Demons in each of these areas are competing to capture the most souls to deliver to Nox and they will do anything to win the battle. You will be lucky to escape with your soul so enter only if you dare. Additional fee required.
Apocalypse: Zombie Experience – NEW – Zombies have taken over and we need your help! These zombies are starving and they only have an appetite for your flesh. Try to make it through alive, but be careful because they haven’t eaten in a while. Better your chances of survival by going to the next level and renting a machine gun to shoot them before they bite. Additional fee required.
LightMosFEAR – NEW – Enjoy the largest Halloween lightshow on the world’s largest carousel! This spectacular lighting experience has over 70,000 points of light and 500 channels of animation.
Fear Haunted House – In the depths of the Bermuda Triangle you will encounter your most primal fear…darkness. Without a sliver of light and only instinct to guide, will you survive? Additional fee required.
The Abyss – Countless occurrences have been recorded of the Bermuda Triangle with each tale as mysterious as the next and all left unanswered. Anything could happen when left alone in the Abyss. Additional fee required.
Massacre Medical Center – This decrepit hospital was rumored to be vacated of patients and doctors years ago following a great massacre. Passersby near the hospital recall eerie noises and unexplainable images in the building – begging the question… who or what lurks within? Additional fee required.
Manslaughter Manor – This manor, tucked away in the Southwest Hills, has the reputation for being cursed by the residents of Skull Valley. Do you dare enter? Additional fee required.
Fright Fest haunted house wristbands provide an unlimited day of access to all six Fright Fest attractions. For more information, visit http://frightfest.sixflags.com/greatamerica. Haunted mazes and houses are not included in general admission.
About Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor
Two great parks, one destination! Located between Chicago and Milwaukee, Six Flags Great America offers endless adventures for the entire family with 14 heart-pounding roller coasters, a 20-acre water park, spectacular shows, four children’s themed areas with over 30 rides and a nighttime parade.
About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest regional theme park company with $1.2 billion in revenue and 18 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For 54 years, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling water parks and unique attractions. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com
Get social at twitter.com/SFGreat_America facebook.com/SFGreatAmerica
#FrightFest #NoMercy
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