Daily [Halloween] Spin 9.25.09

Bag #3 of candy corn pumpkins has been opened, and I've already put a hurtin' on it. I shudder to think of the irreversible damage my teeth will sustain when I'm on staycation in a couple weeks with bags upon bags of unnaturally orange, sugary evilness close at hand. But I'll burn that bridge when I come to it. Right now, it's time for round 2 of random Halloween happenings!

Tonight, the "Overlord" will rise at Worlds of Fun. (It's kind of like the Great Pumpkin rising out of the pumpkin patch, only different.) This friendly-looking fellow appears to be straight out of the "All Your Fear Is Here" billboards that have graced many a Cedar Fair park over the past month. He will be overseeing the festivities in Kansas City, and he may need some help because there are a lot! This year's Halloween Haunt features six mazes, four scare zones, five shows, and a whole host of children's activities, including costume contests every Saturday and Sunday where the lucky winner receives $50 in "Beagle Bucks". Among the new attractions for 2009 is Club Blood, a vampire nightclub whose popularity at some of the other Cedar Fair parks last year had Worlds of Fun dying to get their own for 2009.

Darien Lake also kicks off its Halloween season tonight. There's no overlord at Fright Fest, but the park promises it will scare the yell out of you nonetheless! By night, Fright Fest features a number of haunted attractions, including a "terrorizing" bus ride called Fright Night Field Trip. (Do I need a permission slip from my mummy for that?) By day, the event caters to families with activities such as pumpkin painting and a corn maze. As with most Halloween events these days, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy quite a few rides as well!

We all know that Six Flags Fiesta Texas puts on some kick-butt Halloween shows, but wouldn't it be awesome if they had a haunted house too? Yes it would be, and in fact it will be! In addition to roaming the midways with his deviant sidekicks, Mayor Slayer invites you to visit his Midnight Mansion, where restless former tenants are said to arise when the clock strikes 13. (Coincidentally, the attraction will feature 13 rooms...) The Mayor will be available to greet you beginning October 3. Visit the official Fright Fest web site to find out what other sorts of tricks and treats await you in the Lone Star State.

For those who prefer to celebrate the season sans "tricks", head to the Sweetest Place on Earth for coasters, candy, and good old-fashioned fall foods. Hersheypark has never been known to kick up the fright factor for Halloween, but who needs artificial scares when you can have a screaming good time on rides such as Great Scare, sooperBOOperLooper, and FEARenheit? In addition to the rides, Hersheypark in the Dark features seasonal entertainment, a trick-or-treat adventure for children, and the Creatures of the Night exhibit at ZooAmerica. The event begins on October 16. If the following qualifies as a "fall food", count me in...

Two great tastes that taste great together? This is going to require further investigation...

JACKPOT! I had read about these mythical morsels on the internet somewhere, and last night I was finally able to confirm their existence. In a rather impressive show of will power, I have yet to crack open this bag. But you can rest assured that I will have detailed taste test results, backed up by voluminous charts and graphs, in my next Halloween round-up.