It’s been a long time since Halloween. In the grand scheme of things, no it hasn’t. But for the horror hounds out there, that gap between the holidays might as well be a lifetime. That’s where Midsummer Scream steps in. They put on the extravaganza of holiday horror, Season’s Screamings at the Pasadena Convention Center this past weekend. The event, which went from December 17th-19th wasn’t as large as their previous convention, the Midsummer Scream Awaken The Spirits. However, it still gave horror fans tons to do.

The two guests of honor from Horror movies of the past and present were Zach Galligan (Gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and Waxwork) and Butch Patrick (The Munsters). Unlike the previous con in Pasadena, this one had an extra section known as The Hall Of Yuletide Spirits. This section of the convention had mini-holiday-themed mazes to show off what the scare experts have been doing since October. Companies and groups like Insane Haunt Productions, The Dreich Society, Fear Farm, Calhaunts, Reichland Asylum, and Casa Calaveras brought holiday horrors to all in attendance.

They might’ve been smaller mazes with only a couple of rooms, but the scare actors in waiting brought back memories of Halloween haunts. The schedule of events for the weekend was packed with various shows and panels about all things horror. Friday night’s abridged schedule included the Poltergeists & Paramours Christmas Spooktacular. The show included fashion and performances from plenty of artists and even had a Barbara Crampton sighting!

Season’s Screamings On Saturday And Sunday

The festivities didn’t stop on Friday; Saturday and Sunday held special panels and events as well. Fangoria’s Colors of the Dark panel with Rebekah McKendry and Elric Kane went through various holiday horrors and the films of the holidays. For fans of the Haunted Mansion, animatronics expert Garner Holt led a presentation on how his company brought Jack Skellington to life at the Haunted Mansion. Rebekah McKendry was back with Jared Rivet to host trivia from the history of horror sponsored by the upcoming film Scream. Finally, for Saturday, the Peepshow Menagerie gave the audience a look at the Island of Misfit Tease. The burlesque show celebrated the holidays and also gave a few spooky tidings.

Sunday led off with Bloody Disgusting’s “Boo Crew” interviewing Zach Galligan. The next panel was a look at Ghost Stories of Christmas Eve’s Past with horror historian Lisa Morton, author of The Halloween Encyclopedia. The holidays are all about Krampus around here, so the Krampus: The Devil You Don’t Know panel was all about the ancient beast. Halloween 2021 was all about a somewhat return to normalcy for haunts and theme parks, so the Halloween 2021 Roundtable with Shawn Marshall, Josh Quillin, Chloe Noelle, and Rick West was a welcome sight. They went over various theme parks and home haunts in the Halloween season this year.

Finally, we had the celebration of the recent movie, Muppets Haunted Mansion. Director Kirk Thatcher and the crew of the film gave a special behind-the-scenes look into the making of the new film.

A Hugely Successful Con With Plenty For Horror Fans Everywhere

Season’s Screamings was a breath of fresh air for a horror fan desperate to get back to the October season. Midsummer Scream might be on to something making the march to Halloween that much better with these smaller conventions on the way to their crown jewel in Midsummer Scream in July 2022.

If you’re in the mood for some off-season scares and a bit of Halloween in December, July, or whenever else, you have to check out Midsummer Scream. Find all the details about their events on their website: https://midsummerscream.org/

For more on horror, make sure to check back to That Hashtag Show.

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