Long Beach

Midsummer Scream has unveiled more ‘eek'-inspiring attractions

The everything-Halloween expo is a late-July tradition; eyeball, if you dare, some of its newest offerings.

Mateusz Kalinowski / 500px

What to Know

  • Midsummer Scream 2024
  • The huge Halloween/horror expo returns to the Long Beach Convention Center July 26-28
  • $38 and up for single-day passes; other ticketing tiers, including weekend passes, are available

Planning an evening of trick-or-treating, especially if you're a skilled gatherer of goodies, takes some consideration: Will you visit the houses on your street first or go further afield to a nearby neighborhood famous for its frightful decorations?

You might consider approaching an epically eerie expo, a convention devoted to all things Halloween and horror, in the same smart way: Where will you go first, what will you save for the end of your visit, and how will you spend your time?

The eeked-out organizers behind Midsummer Scream are eager to assist attendees in making the most of their time at the ghoulish gathering, which will float, phantom-like, into the Long Beach Convention Center from Friday, July 26 through Sunday, July 28.

If you're ready to experience "all the chills and thrills of October over one summer weekend" you'll want to peruse Midsummer Scream's many ghostly goings-on well before alighting at the convention.

The team has been adding fresh happenings with increasing frequency, and the full picture for the 2024 event is coming together in a tantalizing, not-too-terrifying fashion.

The Universal Monsters will have a presence at the affair — The Bride, Frankenstein's Monster, and Dracula will make an in-person (or in-monster?) appearance on July 27 — while artist George Newnam's "Casa Calaveras: A Walk-Thru Art Experience" will summon the mirthful spirit of Día de los Muertos.

Some recent additions to the Hall of Shadows, where mazes and low-lit adventures await, include "Fear Farm: Duskfall Hollow" and "Realm of Shadows: Labyrinth of Lost Souls."

The celebrity appearances are exceptionally starry, too: Cassandra Peterson, also known as Elvira: Mistress of the Dark will be at the outsized event, as will Tony Todd of "Candyman" and John Kassir, the voice of the Crypt Keeper on "Tales from the Crypt."

Passes are available now; there are one-day options, if you can only "haunt" the humungous happening over a few hours, as well as weekend-long tickets that are all about creating time to see and do most everything.

Consider the weekend pass options like getting an early start on Halloween trick-or-treating; if you want to call upon every house in your neighborhood, you'll want to make the time to do so.

For all things Midsummer Scream, which is twinkling, with autumn-inspired mischief on the fast-approaching horizon, click.

Universal Studios and NBC-owned TV stations operate under the same parent company NBCUniversal.

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