I have a confession to make. Two, actually. First, I have never been to Screamfest. I’ve lived in Calgary for 14 years now and I’ve never been. Two, I don’t scare easily. I find the lineup of programming on TLC to be far more terrifying than the thought of being flayed alive by hell spawned demons. The promo’s for ‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’ are enough to make me gouge out my own eyes a la Sam Neill in Event Horizon. Anyway…the long running Calgary horror show is back and its moved from Canada Olympic Park and down to the Stampede Grandstand.

 

Screamfest is a collection of 6 differently themed haunted houses, a main stage that featured some really cool fire dancing while I was there and a midway full of ghoulish games. Also, for us big kids, this is their first year with a licensed bar!  My friends and I took in the sneak peak last weekend and were properly creeped out by a few things. Since I’m such a manly rock of manliness, I have a greater appriciation for the little details that make something awesome. Like for instance the performers who run around and their complete dedication to the characters they’ve created. One woman eerily glides around in a pink frilly prom dress, staring at people and screaming at them randomly, all the while maintaining eye contact and then smiling for way too long afterwards. An old friend of mine, Marc, lives for this stuff and kills it with his ‘Chuckles Von Beardo’ character. That’s him cheerfully holding an axe to my neck.

If you enjoy Halloween as much as I do then you’ll enjoy a night of haunted fun. Screamfest runs every weekend (Fri + Sat and everyday leading up to the 31st) at the Stampede Grandstand.  Tickets and info are available at screamfest.ca