On Sunday, Midsummer Scream held a panel featuring members of 13th Floor Entertainment Group, the producers behind popular So Cal Halloween attractions like Los Angeles Haunted Hayride and Delusion and the all-new Shaqtoberfest, coming to Long Beach for Halloween 2022. During the event, the team outlined some of what they have in store for Shaqtoberfest, a new family-friendly Halloween event being developed in partnership with 15-time All-Star and basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and ABG Entertainment.
While it was evident when the event was first announced that it would be family-friendly, 13th Floor Entertainment Group CEO Chris Stafford offered up some clarity about the event and how it will be structured since they are taking an all-ages approach to the event. “When we sat down with Shaq and his team about this event, it was really important to them that everybody could attend,” said Stafford. However, Stafford explained that there are essentially two sides to this event. The daytime fun is family-friendly with trick-or-treat trails, entertainment, activities for kids, and food and beverage, but around 8:00 or 8:30 pm each night during the event, it’s the witching hour at Shaqtoberfest.
During the witching hour, the lighting changes, the sound changes, the animatronics come to life, and scare actors are released into the event. Additionally, the trick-or-treat trails that the kids can experience during the day become nighttime terror trail mini-mazes. Stafford shared that there will be a definitive break from the daytime and nighttime activities to ensure that guests with young children who might be frightened know when to leave. More importantly, though, Stafford shared that at night, if you have friends or family who doesn’t want to be scared, they can still attend the event and partake in the experience. “Everything at Shaqtoberfest as it relates to being scared is very optional,” said Stafford. “So you can still hang out in the worlds and immersive environment and if you want to be scared, there is the opportunity for you to do that, but you don’t have to.” Stafford said this approach was inspired by his wife, who regularly attends Halloween events with him and his kids but doesn’t want to partake in the scary stuff.
Stafford also offered new details about where Shaq can be found at the event; fittingly, he has a very large footprint. Shaq and 13th Floor Entertainment Group wanted to ensure that Shaq was creatively woven into the event beyond just his namesake. Stafford shared various pieces of concept art that show how Shaq’s presence will be incorporated into the event bringing his sense of fun and personality into the experience, which we now know will span six different themed areas, all of which have a “creepy village by the sea kind of feel to them.”
The six themed areas include Shipwreck Graveyard, Pirate’s Cove, Diesel’s Pumpkin Patch (a nod to Shaq’s DJing career), Deadman’s Wharf, Midway Madness, and Lost City Boardwalk. Each area will be a uniquely themed environment with different food and beverage offerings, attractions, and activities.
Shaqtoberfest will take place alongside the historic Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA, officially open to the public from late September through Halloween. For the latest details and to sign up for early access, visit shaqtoberfest.com.
