AGAWAM — Clowns are meant to make people laugh and smile, but any clown you meet at Six Flags New England this weekend is anything but happy — they are demented, downright scary, and monstrous.
It’s all part of the park’s annual Fright Fest, which begins Saturday and runs weekends and select days through the park’s “Last Scare Weekend” on Nov. 9.
Greg Seymour, who is now an entertainment supervisor at Six Flags New England, was once one of those spooky clowns.
“Back in 2002 I was working as a technician at Six Flags when in July, discussions began about Fright Fest. I love Halloween and thought it would be fun to try getting into acting,” Seymour, who got his start in scare-acting as a 3D clown in the park’s TerrorVision maze.
Although most of Seymour’s time today is taken up by supervising, you still might see him returning to a popular role he loves — playing who he refers to as “Gentleman Chainsaw” who, dressed in a long black coat and black cowboy hat, wields his noisy and powerful chainsaw to keep people out of the junkyard he oversees.
He also teaches the park’s annual “Ghoul School,” which helps actors prepare for Fright Fest.
“We teach a lot about voicing, how to scream or make grunting noises while preserving your voice. And we teach how to walk like a zombie or werewolf, as well as scaring safely,” Seymour said.
Preparations for Fright Fest begin in July. The park hires more than 250 additional people for the Halloween-time festival, including scare actors, makeup artists, dancers, singers, stage techs, and team members to facilitate Kids Boo Fest activities.
“Our team prepares for months to bring Fright Fest to life—transforming the park, training performers at ‘ghoul school,’ and perfecting our live shows,” said Sydney Snow, regional manager of public relations for Six Flags. “Fright Fest has grown into one of our biggest events of the year, which speaks to how much people love Halloween.”
Getting your scare on
There are several ways to get your scares on at Fright Fest, including five Haunted Mazes, Camp Killamore, Nightmares, and Slasher Circus 3D. There are also several “Scare Zones” — such as Slaughter Hollow, Soul Harvest and Wasteland — scattered throughout the park. You can also catch one or all five Halloween-themed shows, with options that include the Creepshow Freakshow, Mort’s Used Coffins, Love at First Fright and The Awakening.
The Awakening, Snow said, is a “key part” of Fright Fest. It kicks off the nightly entertainment.
“During the show, Mayor Slayer summons monsters and spirits to set the tone for the evening. Afterward, the monsters roam the park, and the night’s thrills begin,” Snow said
In addition to Fright Fest’s scares and live entertainment, guests can ride their favorite attractions all night long. With the earlier fall sunsets, coasters take on a new twist — flying through the dark for an extra layer of thrills.
The park also re-themes some of their most popular attractions. Their teacups become the Terror Twist as they are enclosed for Fright Fest with music and disco lights. The “possessed” Sky Screamer swings backwards instead of forwards, and Pandemonium becomes the Soul Harvest Spin as you travel along the tracks through a terrifying twisted farm.
During the day, there are family-friendly Halloween activities as part of Six Flags New England’s Kids Boo Fest. The daytime offerings include a Trick-or-Treat trail, hay maze, pumpkin patch, crafts, and other not-so-scary experiences like a kids “Scary-oke” and a Halloween costume showcase.
New foods for Fright Fest
Stone noted that this year, Six Flags New England made its largest culinary investment in park history, including hiring the park’s first ever executive chef, Josh Streeter. Streeter is looking forward to enhancing food by introducing fresh, seasonal ingredients, adding more flavor to recipes, and teaching team members new cooking techniques to elevate quality, taste, and presentation for guests.
Among the special food and drink on tap for Fright Fest this year are Bride of Frankenstein Ice Cream, a soft-serve twist combining vanilla and black-dyed chocolate soft serve, resembling the Bride of Frankenstein, and Worms in Dirt Funnel Cake, a classic funnel cake topped with crushed Oreo cookie pieces, raspberry sauce, gummy worms, and whipped cream.
Other items on offer include Scare-acha Strips, chicken strips tossed in sriracha sauce and sprinkled with red pepper flakes; alcoholic milkshakes; and Vampire’s Kiss Mocktail Blood Bag, featuring lemonade, cherry syrup, and vanilla flavoring.
While all-out controlled mayhem exists throughout the park during Fright Fest, there are a few rules to follow, Snow noted.
Fright Fest is recommended for guests 13 and older. No costumes are allowed for guests older than 12, and no full-face masks or face paint for guests 11 and older. No masks are permitted to be worn on any ride at any time, according to the Six Flags’ website.
Additionally, no park re-entry is allowed after 6 p.m.
Scare zones, live shows, and most rides are included with park admission. However, Haunted Mazes are billed as a “premium experience,” which require separate admission.
For more information, ticket prices and bundles, and park hours, visit Six Flags’ website.
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