The scariest season of the year is coming up! Fright Nights, the area’s largest haunted house event, is looking to terrify those who dare to attend.
The 23rd annual event will take place on Oct. 9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 and 31, as well as Nov. 1, at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Event hours are Thursdays from 6 to 11 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to midnight. In addition to four haunted houses, which open at 7 p.m., there will also be carnival rides, live music, food and entertainment.
A behind-the-scenes tour is planned for Oct. 8 to give the public an opportunity to get a glimpse of the four haunts before the event opens. The tours start at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Limited tickets are available with a maximum of 40 people per hour. The tour lasts 45 minutes and costs $39 per person. Guests also can meet and have their picture taken with the featured characters and ask questions. Each tour purchase will receive a free promotional ticket for opening night on Oct. 9, which includes one admission and one haunted house.
Fright Nights’ haunted houses this year will include “The Autumn Terror Returns,” “Nuclear Beats: Frenzy in the Fallout” and “Watery Grave.” For a full description, visit www.southfloridafair.com/p/fright-nights/haunts. The theme of the fourth house, currently being called “Project X,” will remain “top secret” until three days before the event opens.
When guests aren’t screaming their way through the haunted houses, they are subjected to two scare zones. One is themed “Scary Christmas,” where the holidays are no longer merry because the village of Hollow Pines has fallen under a sinister curse.
The second scare zone is themed “Coven of the Scorned.” In the shadow of the Salem witch trials, four elemental witches were betrayed by the very villagers they once protected. Accused of sorcery and sentenced to death, the public will experience their vengeance.
Advance discount tickets are currently on sale. Once the event opens, online tickets are $48.50. Each ticket includes admission and 40 Fright Credits. These credits can be used on haunted houses (10 credits per house) or midway rides (4 to 5 credits per ride). RIP tickets, which grant VIP access, cost $15 on Thursdays and $20 on Fridays and Saturdays. Parking is $10.
Group rates are available for $35 per person. Contact the event box office at [email protected] or (561) 790-5225 for more information.
Introduced last year, the Dead Ringers Club is designed as an experience like none other, designed to plunge its guests into the depths of fear. This exclusive pass grants admission to all four haunts, entry to the RIP Lounge and a fast pass to bypass the lines. As a token of their bravery, they’ll receive a haunting souvenir cup, a custom lanyard and survival token. Each ticket is $150 per person, limited to only 100 souls per night.
Visit www.myfrightnights.com/frighttickets for details.
