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Here's what you'll find lurking in the shadows at this year's Haunt (press release and photos from Kings Domonion). NEW Terror Lurks at Kings Dominion’s Halloween Haunt, Fright-Free Family Fun Returns with The Great Pumpkin Fest Fall events begin at the park Saturday, September 23 Doswell, VA — Kings Dominion will debut three gruesome new experiences as the dreadful fun of Halloween Haunt returns for its 17th frightful season on Saturday, September 23, 2017. The Great Pumpkin Fest also returns on September 23 with family-friendly Halloween fun in Planet Snoopy. Adding to an already macabre lineup of mazes, monsters and live entertainment, the new Halloween Haunt highlights include a bayou-themed maze and two new roving performances. NEW MAZE: Blood on the Bayou The park’s newest maze is themed after a haunted bayou where the swamps once ran red with blood, with whispers of curses and unnamed voodoo priests. Guests will wind their way through a swamp, past a half-sunken ship where the evil that lies in wait hungers for new visitors. NEW SHOW: The Grave Walkers Take a stroll with these twisted interactive street performers as they bring the best of the French Quarter to the Commonwealth. Listen for the blare of an approaching trumpet or the blast of a tuba as they take to the streets with a Halloween party like no other. NEW SHOW: The Coven In this roaming performance, a troupe of witches are wreaking havoc on the midways with their bizarre rituals. Beware because they are looking for their next victim as they prepare for the coming solstice. In total, those who dare can brave eight mazes, five scare zones and a variety of live shows during Halloween Haunt, which features the largest scare force in the region with hundreds of monsters roaming the midways. During the nighttime event, guests can also get their adrenaline fix on more than 20 rides, including Intimidator™ 305 and Dominator, as fog and darkness blanket the park. Test your limits and experience fear beyond your worst nightmares with all-new Skeleton Key rooms. Guests face extra terror as they unlock exclusive chambers and complete sinister tasks in order to escape. Skeleton Key is exclusive to Fright Lane, a premium feature that gives guests front-of-the-line access to mazes and rides. Haunt is held select nights September 23 through October 29; entry tickets plus Fright Lane passes can be purchased online. Monsters descend upon the park at 7 p.m. during the Overlord’s Resurrection as he calls forth all of his minions and sends them out into the night. For daytime Halloween fun with no fear, The Great Pumpkin Fest in Planet Snoopy features surprises around every corner, from a petting zoo to a pumpkin painting patch. The little ones can take part in educational and interactive shows such as Mad Science: Halloween Edition. The Great Pumpkin Fest has activities for the whole family to enjoy together; as an added benefit, children three to five years of age are eligible for FREE admission when their parent or guardian registers and activates their 2018 Pre-K Pass. The Great Pumpkin Fest is held select Saturdays and Sundays from September 23 through October 29 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. For the most up-to-date hours of operation, visit http://www.kingsdominion.com. The Great Pumpkin Fest and Halloween Haunt are both included with park admission. To get a FREE visit to Kings Dominion during Halloween Haunt, guests can purchase a 2018 Gold Season Pass.

I spent a fun day with TPR at Stricker's Grove a few years ago. It's a very nice family park, and the wooden coasters were better than I'd expected.

I liked the actual show itself, but always found the "pre-show" annoying. There were some pretty cool effects in the theater. It's time for it to go.

It looks like it could be either amazing or irritating and pointless. I imagine I'd give it a shot.

Probably. I love it, and I go nearly every year.

Ditto. I'll brave the unhealthy air quality in Shanghai for this ride, any day. It looks amazing. Meh, the air in Shanghai is just like LA. Beijing (and some of the lesser visited industrial cities) is where you can see, smell, and feel the air you're breathing in! I'll never forget our 2012 visit I was so happy KT wasn't there as it felt like I was breathing air through a charcoal brick! Yes, the air in Shanghai was OK. But I'm convinced that the pollution in Beijing screwed up my camera. Some residue got into the lens compartment, and I was getting these occasional, annoying brown smudges on my pictures. It all started in Beijing.

I share your confusion here. Lightning Run is great--lots of crazy airtime packed in a small space.

Yeah, I need to visit this place--the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is reason enough.

By the way, they were back to running two trains on InvadR today. So, Bierfest? What's it all about, anyway? Well, besides beer? As the name says, there is beer, and lots of it. There's also some good food and German culture to go along with it. Here's a look at Bierfest, with a bit of Howl-o-Scream prep thrown in for good measure. Does this make you think of Howl-o-Scream or pumpkin ale? Both? More HOS prep later. For now, our focus is on . . . . . . Bierfest central in, appropriately enough, Oktoberfest. Here's one set of bars in the shadow of DarKastle. This will become the Open Casket bar during HOS. Prefer cider to beer? BGW has you covered. You can purchase a sampler plan here in the Oktoberfest games area. You can buy them at the bars, too. $22 gets you ten four-ounce samples. The plans can be used in the Brauhaus, pretzel bakery, and Grogan's Pub, too. This was the lineup today, but it changes a bit each weekend. If you're a pumpkin-ale fan, Alewerks makes a very good one. Not sure what sort of beer you might like? This sign could help. And don't forget the festive food. Wasserhund Oktoberfest and Jaegerschnitzel, anyone? Barrels + sausages = theming. These guys put on a fun show in front of the Festhaus. I'm not sure it they'll be back each weekend or if they were just here for Labor Day. Oktoberzest was still running in the Festhaus, too. "Pint glasses are for wimps!" Get your oompah on . . . . . . and polka with your bad self. Obligatory coaster shot. Let's have a look at HOS prep. The "Evil Encore" is taking another encore. DarKastle is going to be "Frostbite"--this year's new maze. I'm curious to see what they do. I imagine the ride's projector equipment will come into play. I wonder if this will be Frostbite's Quick Queue entrance, too. If you want soft-serve ice cream, you'll have to get it in Festa Italia or England. The shop in Germany is transitioning to an escape room. They're heeding the advice spoken in "Young Frankenstein" in the German village: "Ven monsters ist loose, . . . . . . boards must be tight!" Festa Italia is getting ready for Circo Sinistro . . . . . . and Ireland is prepping for Fiends. This makes people think of lots of pumpkin ale. Time to head home under the comforting presence of pure evil in Scotland. But maybe one last stop on the way . . . . . . for a Scotch egg. This was one of my favorites at the Food and Wine Festival a few years ago, and it's back for Bierfest. Enjoy your beer now, because BGW is going to scare it out of you later. Thanks for reading.

^BGW running only one train on any coaster (with the exception of Tempesto, of course) is unusual--the other train probably needed some work.

It tends to change a bit each weekend. Beer from many Virginia breweries, such as O'Connor, Alewerks, and Center of the Universe, are there.

Just came back from the park after checking out Bierfest, and it's pretty busy. This is also the last day to ride DarKastle before they set up the Frostbite Howl-o-Scream maze in the show building.

I enjoy the Halloween events, too. But if you're not into the mazes and shows, Fridays and Sundays during Howl-o-Scream are good days to visit Busch Gardens Williamsburg. All the coasters are running, and the crowds don't start to get big until the evening (and lines are usually short on Friday evenings).

I've had two good visits and one bad visit to Six Flags America, which isn't a bad track record. Wild One was my favorite ride there, followed by Superman and Joker's Jinx, and I never had a "bad" ride on Roar.

Congratulations on reaching this major milestone!

And that would be me. Oh yeah . . .

Behold the most adorable coaster train in theme-park history!

The Turkish Delight at Busch Gardens Williamsburg--can't deal with spinning coffee cups.

I love this event, and I'm always sorry when I miss it. The park looks great, there's candy, and there's a five-minute wait for Space Mountain--what's not to like?

To me, SFA is a park you visit in the springtime before it gets unbearably hot and crowded. I've had three visits there--two good, one bad. Not such a bad track record.

^^I rode it last year, too, and while it was noticeably bumpier than when I'd first ridden it (back in 2008), it was still great.

Fun fact! Cat in the Hat didn't always have a 36" height restriction. You just had to 'be able to walk'. I've never seen so many children pressured into their first steps in front of that ride so I suppose that's why they eventually had to enforce an actual 'provable' restriction! "There's too much rain and not enough sun, But you must be 36 inches to have any fun!"

It's one of the crazier Wild Mouse coasters I've ridden--and a bit of a "knee cracker."

Terrible. Colossos was such a great coaster at one time.

Too bad they're not selling one of those "looping toboggans."