As it does every year, HAuNTcon kicks off the Halloween New Year in January. This year it will once again be running consecutively (side-by-side, in fact) with the Halloween & Party Expo in New Orleans, Louisiana January 25-27, 2019.
What happens at this thing called HAuNTcon?
It’s mostly a conference for haunters (professional haunted attractions as well as home haunters) and people in the Halloween industry. But Halloween and scare enthusiasts can find lots to do at HAuNTcon, too.
Days are filled with education. Everything from the business of running a scare attraction to scare actor training to hands-on workshops where you make props or learn makeup techniques.
There’s also a pre-show tour which includes:
- The Bank of Antiquities, a 22,000 square foot venue with antiques galore. (A great prop stop!)
- The St. Louis Cathedral – tour goers will learn about the cathedral’s history, architecture and ghostly inhabitants. (Perhaps sparking some new story line material?)
- Movie Sets: A Reel Venue – it’s a working prop house, and another idea generator.
- A Lights-On tour of Terror on the Coast, the largest haunted house on the Gulf Coast.
- A walking ghost tour with an introduction to voodoo with one of Marie Laveau’s descendants.
- A post-tour party at Barcadia.
Speaking of tours, on Friday night you can go to Terror on the Coast (this time with the lights off). Saturday night is access to the Calgary Ghost Tours.
There will also be vendors selling everything from products to services. Not only the ones that will be part of HAuNTcon, but also the vendors on the Halloween Party & Expo side. (They’re both in the same building.)
And then there’s everyone’s favorite: the Costume Ball.
It’s where those who work in the industry get to enjoy a night of strutting their stuff in their Halloween finest, showing off their costume designs, makeup skills, and maybe even busting a move or two –alongside those who just live for Halloween in general.
For more info (details on attending, ticket prices, etc), visit their website: https://www.hauntcon.com/.
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, as well as obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of healing, to learn how she channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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