Six Flags Great America is bringing back Fright Fest for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic for its 30th anniversary. There are two new haunted houses, making a total of six haunted houses and nine scare zones. Fright Fest runs from September 18 through October 31.

With the start of the pandemic in 2020, many businesses and amusement parks had to close their doors to the public with the fear of spreading COVID-19. Since then, Six Flags has opened their doors to the public in an attempt to make their guests have the best experience.

“Six Flags prides ourselves on the brand’s innovation and ability to continuously deliver a great experience to guests. This year marks the 30th season of Fright Fest and a return to the event, as the theme park remained closed through November 2020. With the many unknowns related to COVID-19, we continuously planned for ways we could adapt the event as necessary if government mandates or other factors, such as reservations, were to apply so as to limit the impact to the guest experience,” said Caitlin Kepple, communications and marketing manager.

There are many students who work at Six Flags Great America and take part in Fright Fest.

“It really wasn’t that hard. All we did is get shipments of spooky and scary toys, and we just put them on display. It’s better they improved it a little more. They have more scarers and haunted houses,”Junior Michael Barrera said.

Following how Six Flags dealt with Fright Fest during a pandemic, they still had to plan the fest as if it was normal. Six Flags Great America had assumed since it was Fright Fest’s 30th anniversary, things would be more frightening, adding haunted houses and scare zones this year.

In regards to the scare zones and haunted houses, Six Flags’ number one priority is guest safety with scare workers trained for any given situation and giving flawless scares all without touching guests.

“The Six Flags team begins physically creating Fright Fest elements, like décor and set pieces in June. Six Flags Great America is proud to boast a world-class entertainment team amongst our 4,500 seasonal and full-time team members. This group designs, produces, and executes Fright Fest.

This year’s event is a combination of favorite terrifying elements from prior seasons, plus new spine-tingling scares. Each season, the brilliant costume designers and make-up artists on the Six Flags team work to design, source, and create all of the looks you see,”Kepple said. She put a great deal of the effort that goes into planning Fright Fest. Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest this year has over 15 haunted attractions with two new haunted houses (Bloodshed and Condemned) and two new scare zones (Demon Lair and Nightmares) making six total haunted houses, nine scare zones, shows and other world class attractions that are for everyone.

Six Flags offers thrills by day and fright by night. Within the daytime, guests can enjoy family friendly attractions until 5:45 p.m.. This is when the fright commences with all the scarers coming to life to bring on the fright by night. Fright Fest thrills by day is for everyone, but it’s fright by night may not be for those who are not willing to take the risk of being scared when they are least expecting it.

“Fright Fest at Six Flags Great America has something for everyone – whether you’re looking for thrills or frights! A daytime visit will have all of the fun of the regular season, plus some special seasonal offerings, like family-friendly shows. Once it grows dark and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, it means the ghouls are out. Guests can go from coaster to coaster, walking through scare zones, or make a stop to visit a haunted house,” Kepple said.

“Just enjoy it. You’re going there not knowing if you’re going to be scared or not. You can turn a corner and they’ll be there waiting for you,” Barrera said.