Credit: Photo via PGT Productions
As is tradition here in Tampa, spooky season doesn’t officially start until Howl-O-Scream debuts at Busch Gardens.

This year the annual fright fest runs on select nights from  Sept. 8-Oct. 31, and will feature a few new scare zones, haunted houses, and shows. 

Before we get to the new stuff,  some fan-favorites are making a return. Popular haunted houses like Stranglewood Estate, Witch of the Woods and The Residence: Home for the Holidays, are all back for the new season.

In terms of scare zones, guests can expect the return of The Junkyard, Beyond the Veil, The Shortcut and Ravens Mill.

According to the theme park, here’s what’s new for Howl-O-Scream 2023:

– All-New – D.H. Baggum’s Circus of Fear – Come one, come all, to the most terrifying show you’ve ever seen. D.H. Baggum brings you all his monstrosities that are sure to make your spine tingle and your blood run cold!

– Reimagined – The Forgotten: Uprising – Be Brave. Be Fearless. Survive the Night. Rise up against the vampires before they take back the city and kill every human in their way.

– Big Ed’s Demolition Derby – Step into the twisted and adrenaline-fueled world of Big Ed’s Demolition Derby. He has pulled together some of the roughest, toughest, and meanest baddies from all over Howl-O-Scream and brought them here to compete— but there’s always room for some surprise guests. Step up and see how long you can survive and navigate this automotive nightmare.

– Sin City Zombies – On the outskirts of the Vegas strip lies a rundown motel, home to some of the best entertainers to ever live and overrun by zombies who run rampant. Try your luck and hope your number wins because this is one town you don’t want to lose in.

Live entertainment is a big part of Howl-O-Scream and like every year, the park’s Festival Field will host some spooky entertainment, this time from class rock and alternative cover band “Rock The Grave.”

Plus, guests can find Cirque X-Scream at the Stanleyville Theater, and live musical performances from The Rolling Bones over at Dragon Fire Grill.

New this year is the “Scare-E-Oke” karaoke experience over at Gwazi Plaza, and the “Raveyard,” at the Coke Canopy, which features speciality cocktails and allows guests to “dance the night away until the clock strikes twelve.”

Tickets to Howl-O-Scream start at $37.99, and are on sale now.  For more info on tickets and Howl-O-Scream announcements, visit buschgardens.com.

Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed

This article appears in Aug 17-23, 2023.

Colin Wolf has been working with weekly newspapers since 2007 and has been the Digital Editor for Creative Loafing Tampa since 2019. He is also the Director of Digital Content Strategy for CL's parent...