"Boston's Wicked Haunt Fest," a Halloween experience featuring three haunted houses, hundreds of skeletons, a beer garden and numerous family-friendly activities, is slated to open later this month at Charlestown's Hood Park.
The inaugural festival debuts on Sept. 29 and runs through Nov. 3, organizers said. The immersive Halloween experience by the team behind Urban Wild and Tradesman at Hood Park will feature cinema-caliber haunts, fall activities and family-friendly seasonal entertainment.
“With a variety of state-of-the-art theatrical elements, Wicked Haunt Fest is going to impress even the most discerning Halloween enthusiasts," Carl Rugato, the festival's creative director, said in a statement. "From intricate set designs and professional scare actors to state-of-the-art animatronics and immersive lighting, every aspect of the spirited experiences have been crafted with the utmost care and attention to detail. Visitors can expect to be transported to a fully realized festive world. Wicked Haunt Fest is poised to redefine what a Halloween event can be, setting a new standard for immersive, high-production-value haunts in Boston and beyond.”
The two-acre property will come to life with over 300 skeletons, 20-foot props, suspended decor, lighting, themed music and projection imaging.
The centerpiece of the festival will be three haunted houses, each with their own distinct storyline and theme, filled with 16-foot animatronics, scare actors and terrifying scares. Here's how organizers described them:
- Visitors can brave the "Harvest Awakening," where the once thriving farm has become a nightmarish place where tainted pumpkins, emitting an eerie glow, come to life with malevolent intent.
- Explore the cursed tomb of "Rise of Annkh," where a team of archaeologists have unleashed the vengeful Pharaoh and his mummified servants.
- Or venture "Into the Astray," a shadowy realm where the boundary between the living and supernatural dissolves.
There will also be a variety of daytime activities and attractions for families, including an Oktoberfest-style beer garden, two themed walk-up bars inspired by prehistoric creatures and classic movie monsters, a selection of festive seasonal food from some of Boston's best restaurants and vendor booths for shopping.
Less spooky, family-friendly experiences will also be available, including an immersive graveyard walk-through with over 150 themed tombstones and a real hearse, along with pumpkin painting face painting, mock trick-or-treating and more.
Wicked Haunt Fest is the brainchild of Rugato, who has held leadership roles at Busch Gardens, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, and Feld Entertainment, where he worked on projects like Marvel Universe Live, Age of Heroes, and the Jurassic World Live Stunt Show. Rugato is also planning a similar "Winter Fest" experience at Hood Park opening in late November.
Wicked Haunt Fest will be open weekdays from 4-11 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Free parking is available on a first come, first serve basis for up to three hours in the Hood Park Garage.
Ticket options include General Admission ($25-30), General Admission & Haunt Access ($50-60), or Spectral Speed Fast Passes ($70-90) which allow guests to skip the line and head right to the scare. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit tickets.bostonswickedhauntfest.com/bostons-wicked-haunt-fest or follow along on social at @bostonwickedhauntfest on Instagram and TikTok.
