2023 Daily Events
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Pre-Convention Bus Tour Check In
4:30 pm- 7:00 pm | Embassy Suites Hotel, 5500 North River Rd, Rosemont IL, 60018
MHC Pre-Party | FREE TO ATTENDEES
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm | Bar Louie 5615 N Cumberland Ave, Chicago, IL 60631
It’s the night before the festivities start – but why does Thursday-Sunday get to have all the fun? Let’s not wait to celebrate!
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Pre- Convention Bus Registration Re-Opens
5:45 am | Embassy Suites Hotel, 5500 North River Rd, Rosemont IL, 60018
Buses Leave for MHC Pre-Convention Bus Tour
Buses load at 6:30 am and leave at 7:00am | Embassy Suites Hotel, 5500 North River Rd, Rosemont IL, 60018
Tour details HERE
Sponsored by Fearworm Hauntvertising and TicketSpice
Buses Return from MHC Pre-Convention Bus Tour
1:45 am | Embassy Suites Hotel, 5500 North River Rd, Rosemont IL, 60018
Tour details HERE
Friday, June 9, 2023
Registration Opens
9:30 am | Convention Center Main Lobby
MHC “Monstrous Marketplace” Opens
9:30am | Convention Center Lobby (next to registration)
The Monstrous Marketplace is a store that will feature all the Midwest Haunters Convention merchandise you know and love as well as limited edition merchandise from exhibitors including: Fright Night Studios, Chocolate Treasures, Froggy’s Fog and more! These specialty limited edition items will be sold on a first-come, first served basis on the day of their release. You can catch a sneak peak of the special merchandise by tuning in to TransWorld LIVE and following along on the MHC Social Media Pages!
Friday Super Seminars
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm | Donald A. Stephens Convention Center
5555 North River Rd, Rosemont , IL 60018
Buses leave for the Friday Night Haunt Tour
7:45 pm |Donald A. Stephens Convention Center
5555 North River Rd, Rosemont , IL 60018
Tour details HERE
Sponsored by TicketSpice
TransWorld LIVE After Party | FREE TO ATTENDEES
Sponsored By : Exponential Growth Games
11:00 pm – 2:00 am | Embassy Suites Hotel, 5500 North River Rd, Rosemont IL, 60018
What better way to celebrate the day than with an epic after party – TransWorld LIVE style! The TW Live crew is taking over part of the Embassy and you’re invited! This party is the place to kick back and connect before hitting the show floor on Saturday!
Get “Zesty” with friendly competition? Will you beat Kris in Beer Pong, take Nicole down in Flippy Cup or will someone finally conquer Robert in Corn Hole? No matter what, it’s going to be AMAZING! Oh… and there is a VERY high chance of SCARY-OKE!
Fun will include a Cash Bar that will be serving up drink specials all night long!
Saturday, June 10, 2023
Registration Opens
8:00 am | Convention Center Main Lobby
MHC “Monstrous Marketplace” Opens
8:00am | Convention Center Lobby (next to registration)
The Monstrous Marketplace is a store that will feature all the Midwest Haunters Convention merchandise you know and love as well as limited edition merchandise from exhibitors including: Fright Night Studios, Chocolate Treasures, Froggy’s Fog and more! These specialty limited edition items will be sold on a first-come, first served basis on the day of their release. You can catch a sneak peak of the special merchandise by tuning in to TransWorld LIVE and following along on the MHC Social Media Pages!
Early Bird Seminars
8:30 am | Convention Center
Kick start your day with one of our FREE Early Bird Seminars. Visit Seminar & Events for more information!
Show Floor & Kids Zone
Chicago Haunt Builders’ Walk-Through Haunted House
Haunted House Chicago Row
9:30 am – 5:00 pm | Convention Center Show Floor
Saturday Seminars
9:45 – 4:30 pm | Convention Center
Ghoul School
11:30 pm – 12:15 pm | Convention Center Show Floor KIDS ZONE | FREE to Attendees!
Teacher: Japes Palles
LIMITED TO 30 STUDENTS | AGES 6-12 | PLEASE ARRIVE AT 11:15 TO CHECK IN.
This workshop is limited to just 30 students, so sign your kids up HERE for either Saturday or Sunday (if there are spots left at time of show, you can sign up on-site).
Back by popular demand! The kids had so much fun last year, we’re bringing back this unique opportunity for future Haunters. In this workshop, veteran actor trainer and former elementary school teacher, Japes Palles, will host fun games and activities that will introduce elementary aged kids to the fundamentals of haunt acting. This engaging class will have your kids moving and developing scare tactics that really work. Provide an additional level of interaction and scares at your home haunt by giving your kids the skills to make your neighbors pee their pants. Or, start prepping your kids for a future in pro haunts.
Haunted House Chicago Ticket Giveaways | Ongoing throughout the show
Hourly | Convention Center Show Floor Stage
Join us every hour for FREE ticket giveaways to all of your favorite haunted attractions in the Chicagoland area! Stop by the TransWorld LIVE! booth to enter! Sponsored by the Participating Attractions of Haunted House Chicago Row
Creepy Closeouts
11:00 am – 5:00 pm | Convention Center Show Floor
Creepy Closeouts is a designated area on the MHC 2023 trade show floor where vendors can sell items that might not quite qualify for sale at their booths, such as one-offs, prototypes, discontinued/discounted items, and broken/defective items that can be “reanimated” with a little TLC. Closeouts are limited and once they are gone, they are gone!
Show Floor Stage
Sponsored by HauntPay
11:00 am – 5:00 pm | Convention Center Show Floor
Featuring a variety of entertainments as well as hourly Chicago haunted house ticket giveaways!
Devilish Dating Game
12:10 pm | Convention Center Show Floor Stage
In the classic game show “The Dating Game”, two lucky contestants will be given the opportunity to ask a series of questions in order to win a date with hopefully the ghoul of their nightmares! Except, the hopeful suitors are all creatures of the night from haunted attractions from the Chicagoland area! Hosted by Zombie Army’s John LaFlamboy.
Animal Lady
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | Convention Center Show Floor KIDS ZONE | FREE to Attendees!
Meet & greet with live animals! Most animals can be held, for the exception of the bats. Come meet our tarantula, armadillo, ball python, milk snake, bats, sand boa, goliath bird eater spider, skunk, corn snake and bearded dragon! Please note all animals maybe subject to change.
Creepy Creative Costume Design Challenge
1:10 pm | Convention Center Show Floor Stage
Want to participate? Sign up HERE – first-come, first-served!
Contestants will receive identical Costume in a Box kits courtesy of Nightmare Forge and have 30 minutes using only the tools, supplies, and materials provided in the box to create, alter, and enhance. Anything goes, as contestants will fight the clock to produce the most creative and entertaining ensemble! Sponsored by Nightmare Forge
The Great Haunted Relay Race
2:10 pm | Convention Center Show Floor Stage
Cheer on teams composed of members from Chicagoland haunted attractions as they race through ridiculous challenges and overcome crazy obstacles in an attempt to be first over the finish line!
Screamin’ Hot Sauce Challenge
3:10 pm | Convention Center Show Floor Stage
Want to participate? Sign up HERE – first-come, first-served!
Come support your favorite personnel from haunted attractions throughout the Midwest compete to see who can survive some of the hottest sauce from planet Earth, and the underworld! They will sweat, breathe fire, and maybe cry! Come see who will make the cut and cheer on your favorites!
Bloody Mary Monster Makeup Wars
4:10 pm | Convention Center Show Floor Stage
Details HERE
Sponsored by Bloody Mary Makeup
MHC Zombie Walk | FREE TO ATTENDEES
5:30 pm | Meet in the Convention Center Lobby
Details HERE
Want to participate? Sign up HERE!
Sponsored by Chicago Zombie March
MHC Costume Party
8:15 pm – 12:30 pm | Convention Center | $35 Early Bird | $45 Onsite | BUY NOW
The MHC Costume Party is THE Social Event of the year for the haunt industry! Join hundreds of haunters and Halloween lovers for an evening of music, competitions, dancing, and socializing – this is your chance to have your yearly Halloween party with all your favorite industry friends! Get ready to strut your stuff: The costume contest is back and better than ever before – new categories, more judges and BIGGER Prizes! We also have the return of the Body Art Fashion Show! Full details HERE! Costume Party sponsored by Overlook Creative, The Haunted Attraction Association and Soul Reapers Haunted House. Body Art Fashion Show sponsored by FCIS Specialty Insurance.
TransWorld LIVE After Party | FREE TO ATTENDEES
Sponsored By : Exponential Growth Games
12:00 am – 2:00 am | Embassy Suites Hotel, 5500 North River Rd, Rosemont IL, 60018
You don’t have to go home…you just have to make it over to the Embassy for MORE fun! The TW Live crew is at it again for night number 2 of mischief and mayhem – this time we are adding MORE with some surprise “Zesty” entertainment to both start AND end the party! Games, Drink Specials and Good Company will all be available as we party into the wee hours before out last day of MHC!
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Registration Opens
8:00 am | Convention Center Lobby
MHC “Monstrous Marketplace” Opens
8:00 am | Convention Center Lobby (next to registration)
The Monstrous Marketplace is a store that will feature all the Midwest Haunters Convention merchandise you know and love as well as limited edition merchandise from exhibitors including: Fright Night Studios, Chocolate Treasures, Froggy’s Fog and more! These specialty limited edition items will be sold on a first-come, first served basis on the day of their release. You can catch a sneak peak of the special merchandise by tuning in to TransWorld LIVE and following along on the MHC Social Media Pages!
Early Bird Seminars
8:30am | Convention Center
Sunday Seminars
9:45 am – 2:30 pm | Convention Center
Show Floor & Kids Zone
Chicago Haunt Builders’ Walk-Through Haunted House
Haunted House Chicago Row
10:00 am – 3:00 pm | Convention Center Show Floor
Creepy Closeouts
11:00 am – 3:00 pm | Convention Center Show Floor
Creepy Closeouts is a designated area on the MHC 2023 trade show floor where vendors can sell items that might not quite qualify for sale at their booths, such as one-offs, prototypes, discontinued/discounted items, and broken/defective items that can be “reanimated” with a little TLC. Closeouts are limited and once they are gone, they are gone!
Ghoul School
11:30 pm – 12:15 pm | Convention Center Show Floor KIDS ZONE | FREE to Attendees!
Teacher: Japes Palles
LIMITED TO 30 STUDENTS | AGES 6-12 | PLEASE ARRIVE AT 11:15 TO CHECK IN.
This workshop is limited to just 30 students, so sign your kids up HERE for either Saturday or Sunday (if there are spots left at time of show, you can sign up on-site).
Back by popular demand! The kids had so much fun last year, we’re bringing back this unique opportunity for future Haunters. In this workshop, veteran actor trainer and former elementary school teacher, Japes Palles, will host fun games and activities that will introduce elementary aged kids to the fundamentals of haunt acting. This engaging class will have your kids moving and developing scare tactics that really work. Provide an additional level of interaction and scares at your home haunt by giving your kids the skills to make your neighbors pee their pants. Or, start prepping your kids for a future in pro haunts.
Show Floor Stage
Sponsored by HauntPay
11:00 am – 3:00 pm | Convention Center Show Floor
Featuring a variety of entertainments as well as hourly Chicago haunted house ticket giveaways!
7th Annual Sinister Visions Costume Contest
11:10 am | Convention Center Show Floor Stage
Details HERE
Sponsored by Sinister Visions
Monster Match Game
12:10 pm | Convention Center Show Floor Stage
Get ready for a slightly spooky twist on this long-time classic! Cheer on some of your favorite haunted attraction personalities as our two famous contestants will try to get on the same wavelength and earn bragging rights!
Allen Hopps: Presents Innovative DIY demo
1:00 pm | Convention Center Show Floor Stage
Allen Hopps (Stiltbeast Studios and Dark Hour Haunted House) presents the fastest, cheapest and most fun way he knows to build an impressive fence/panel peeper! Allen uses the same tried-and-true techniques created by Stan Winston Studios for their creature tests!
HauntedHouseChicago.com Actor Showcase & Grand Prize Ticket Giveaway
1:45 pm | Convention Center Show Floor Stage
As we near the end another amazing Midwest Haunters Convention, bring your tickets for a FREE chance to win two free tickets to each of the Haunted House Chicago Row attractions to use during the 2023 season! In addition, join us for a special meet and greet with some of the actors/actresses of the Chicagoland haunt scene for this special presentation! Sponsored by HauntedHouseChicago.com
Haunter’s Hangout Raffle Winner Announcements
2:15 pm | Convention Center Show Floor Stage
Haunter’s Hangout and our 2023 Sponsors have donated fantastic prizes for this year’s benefit raffle! The Hangout will be selling raffle tickets at only $1 each in the booth until 1:30pm Sunday! 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!
Winners of the raffle prizes will be announced on Sunday starting at 2:15pm on the Main Stage of the show floor at MHC. You must be present to win. Sponsored by Haunter’s Hangout
