Once every five years, it happens. Spooky Fog collects around the otherwise bright and cheery Festival of the Arts Pavillion in Laguna Beach heralding the arrival of family-friendly Halloween fun. Pageant of the Monsters is back for 2018. The Halloween-themed cousin to the Southern California staple, Pageant of the Masters is a beguiling festival of arts, crafts, music, dancing, and a high-brow affair that won even this grizzled horror hound over with its unabashed charms.
The Scarecrow contest
Guests were invited to vote on their favorite scarecrow creation made by local artists. We had a favorite two.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”149″]The Haunted House
Sitting as the centerpiece of this ghostly gala is the “Haunted House” walkthrough attraction that utilizes the entire Amphitheatre, including front and backstage, to create a winding, twisting, adventure. This year the walkthrough is called Raiders of the lost ART. You see what they did there?
With a passively spooky approach, the walkthrough references pretty much every Indiana Jones adventure in a sort of random order. We get to see everything from Mola Ram to Irina Spalko. We even get a run in with the infamous boulder from raiders.
Into the covered orchestra pit!
The ONE jump scare, a prisoner of Mola Ram.
A word of advice, when you get to the inexplicable classroom scene, wait for it. HILARIOUS!
The line for the walkthrough might seem daunting but trust us. Not only is it entirely worth it, at a length of 20 minutes, but you will also get to see areas of the theatre that you wouldn’t otherwise get to peak at. As a fan of the regular Pageant, this was a bit of a geek-out moment for me personally.
The Festival
In the festival center, there is a seemingly endless array of crafts and fun to get involved in. That’s not to mention the artisan vendors with some beautiful work on display.
YEP there is a reptile farm!
If you don’t have plans already you really need to go check out Pagent of the Monsters. At $15 a ticket, this is a steal! Kids 12 and under can show up in costume and run around and have an absolute blast. This is also a wonderful way to introduce them to the concept of haunts and walkthroughs.
With all of the haunts in Southern California, it is refreshing to see another stellar family-oriented event crop up. It is even more exciting to see one pop up that is good and worth the time and money.
GRAB YOUR TICKETS AHEAD OF TIME HERE!!!
WHEN:
October 26 – 28, and 31, 2018
6:00 – 9:30 pm
TICKETS:
- Adult tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door
- Children tickets (12 and under) are $10
