Haunted Halloween: Fright Nights returns ‘more rabid than ever’ | Let’s Go, South Florida

Watch Let’s Go, South Florida: After a pandemic hiatus, Fright Nights in West Palm Beach is back and scarier than ever. Host Arlene Borenstein brings you behind-the-scenes to one of this year’s horrifying haunted houses — after she becomes zombie chow.

Unhappy zombies, crazed clowns and possessed creatures have angrily stewed in the shadows of the South Florida Fairgrounds, awaiting your arrival to their West Palm Beach refuge — Fright Nights.

Locked away by a 2020 pandemic hiatus, the ghouls and ghosts are eerily emerging following a year of plotting and planning to kill … sorry, thrill … their guests.

“I would expect the cast to be even more rabid than ever,” said creative director Craig McInnis. “Top of the list are scares … at the end of the day it’s about getting that adrenaline rush for the people, that smile on their face … that, ‘Oh my god what just happened,’ ” he said.

McInnis works with a team of about 30 people, including makeup artists, wardrobe specialists, set designers and haunt actors, who create ghostly haunted houses that are awfully memorable — if you make it out alive.

Haunt actress and horror influencer Kelly Lasch, known as Vengie Sweet (@revengie on TikTok), will be one of the naughty clowns waiting in the wings. She’s been with Fright Nights for five years and says her character Vengie is still so upset Fright Nights 2020 was canceled, she’s ready to collect teeth this year.

“Vengie will grab her pill bottle full of teeth and ask if she can take some [guests’] teeth and put them in her pill bottle. It rattles, too, which adds effect,” said Lasch, who spent her pandemic time building her character and SFX skills. “I’m looking forward to trying different scare tactics on people. I’ve been thinking about lots of ways to freak people out over this year and a half.”

Fright Nights has three themed haunted houses in the lineup: Fatal Fables, Red Room and Siren’s Curse. Watch this week’s Let’s Go, South Florida to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Red Room with host Arlene Borenstein, who is transformed into a zombie victim by haunt makeup artist Olivia Garcia.

The event is one of South Florida’s largest haunt attractions and was awarded a 2021 Top Haunt by the Haunted Attraction Association.

“We’ve got 19 years of protocols of how to source props all the way from dumpster diving to actually purchasing props from professional prop making companies to custom-making things to fit the specific scene,” McInnis said.

Aside from the monster scares, there is also midway carnival rides and live entertainment.

Tickets are available for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in October. The last night is Oct. 30. Admission includes 30 fright tickets, which grants entry into the haunted houses and carnival rides. Additional fright tickets can be purchased separately. Parking is $5 and is not included in price.

The South Florida Fairgrounds is at 9067 Southern Blvd. Midway hours are 6 to 11 p.m. on Thursday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Haunted houses open at 7 p.m.