Ah, summer. That astronomical season that begins on Sunday, June 20, and lasts until Wednesday, September 22. Or pre-Spooky Season, as I like to think of it.
Because normally (meaning pre-pandemic), the spring and summer months see the most uptick in paracons, Halloween, and horror fests. After being cooped up all winter, folks are eager to get out and about and spend some of their vacation time attending events. Especially come summertime.
However, as we’re painfully aware, 2020 annihilated the norm for pretty much everything, including conferences and conventions. Maybe especially for them. Sure, not all canceled. Some pivoted and went virtual, while others postponed.
So what is it looking like for summer 2021’s paracons, Halloween, and horror fests? Are they getting back to normal with in-person gatherings?
Pretty much.
Let’s check out summer 2021’s lineup.
Note: For more info or to get tickets to any of the following, click on the event’s name. If there’s a website, I’ve linked to it that way.
Updated: June 17, 2021
Summer 2021’s Paracons
The listings below encompass not only paranormal but also cryptid and UFO cons.
1. June 19, 2021: Fouke Monster Festival – Fouke, AR
Celebrate the home of The Legend of Boggy Creek with Bigfoot presentations, tours, movie actors, track casting and more.
2. June 19-20, 2021: Metaline Falls Bigfoot Festival – Metaline Falls, WA
The first annual event devoted to Bigfoot will include speakers, TV personalities, and researchers ready to meet fans, books and swag, vendors, a 5K race, a film festival, family-friendly activities, food, live music, a beer garden and more.
3. June 25-28, 2021: Contact in the Desert – Indian Wells, CA
The world’s largest UFO conference, Contact in the Desert (CITD), is in perfect synchrony with the most talked about subject in news today: the long-anticipated disclosure of classified military documents on unexplained celestial sightings. The four-day virtual event will be held June 24-28, 2021, featuring more than 70 fascinating experts in the fields of UFOlogy, UAPs, government disclosure, ancient archaeology, crop circles, paranormal studies, and more.
4. June 26, 2021: The West Virginia Bigfoot Festival – Sutton, WV
The first annual West Virginia Bigfoot Festival will also celebrate the grand opening of the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum on the same day.
5. June 26-27, 2021: 3rd Annual Virginia Bigfoot Con – Fort Defiance, VA
This one promises to be a fun-filled family festival that includes vendors, Bigfoot Merch, and guest speakers with experiences and stories to tell, as well as great food.
6. July 1-3, 2021: AlienFest 2021 – Roswell, NM
An annual event now held by the City of Roswell to support their local merchants and economy while celebrating the mystery of the UFO crash in 1947.
7. July 8-19, 2021: Minnesota ParaUnity Convention – Duluth, MN
At this paracon, you can meet cast members from paranormal TV shows like Ghost Hunters, Kindred Spirits, and Destination Fear, as well as some of the psychics and other paranormal experts that are often featured in discovery+ and Travel Channel paranormal shows and specials.
8. July 10, 2021: Great Florida Bigfoot Conference – Lakeland, FL
This first annual con is set to feature an all-star lineup of Bigfoot researchers, investigators, and authors ready to interact with fans and discuss their experiences and findings.
9. July 16-18, 2021: Crypticon – Kansas City, MO
This is both a con for horror movie pop culture fans and also a scary movie film festival.
10. July 23-24, 2021: Haunted America Conference – Alton, IL
Troy Taylor’s long-standing paracon is the one that started it all long before paranormal TV celebs were born –in some cases both literally and figuratively. You’ll find plenty of people notable in the paranormal field at this conference, and a few who have even appeared as experts in para TV shows and specials, including Mr. Taylor himself. One thing you won’t find are lines to pay for autographs or photo ops with any “stars” though. So if you want an intimate, up close and personal experience without all the spotlights, this is the con to attend. The only trouble is it usually sells out way in advance every year. Summer 2021’s con is no exception.
11. July 23-25, 2021: MUFON Symposium – Las Vegas, NV
The Mutual UFO Network’s Las Vegas event always has speakers, experiencer sessions, and even field investigator training. They might also always have an Area-51 Tour. I’m not sure. I never looked into it really before now. However, this year it caught my eye because they’re going to have military and government UAP witnesses speaking out, which is why they’re calling it “the international UAP event of the year.”
12. July 24, 2021: Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Conference – Gatlinburg, TN
The third annual conference once again assembles some of America’s most experienced and engaging Bigfoot researchers and investigators. And if it’s anything like the previous two events, it will again be a sell-out, so if you don’t have tickets yet, you may be SOL.
13. July 24-25, 2021: PARACONN Connecticut’s first paranormal convention – Ansonia, CT
Connecticut’s first-ever paranormal convention will be held at the Haunted Ansonia Armory and will feature guest speakers, vendors, seminars, and other activities.
14. July 30-31, 2021: sQuatch Fest – Longview, WA
This is a fun family-friendly fest in honor of Bigfoot filled with speakers, vendors, food and other fun activities.
15. August 5-8, 2021: Ghosts of Granville – Granville, OH
Spend the weekend learning about and investigating the ghosts of Granville, Ohio, with paranormal investigators, intuitive and psychics.
16. August 14, 2021: Hannah House Paranormal Day Celebration – Indianapolis, IN
This is a neat one because it’s free for both vendors to set up and for the public to attend. In addition to vendors, there will be paranormal investigators, psychics, tarot readers, filmmakers, authors, TV personalities and more.
17. August 20-22, 2021: Gettysburg Battlefield Bash – Gettysburg, PA
Presented by the Gettysburg Ghost Exchange, this event isn’t exactly a paracon but does have paranormal elements, as well as speakers and vendors who show up. But the real beauty of it is that it benefits a variety of organizations, including the Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors, Heroes 4 Higher, and Critically Ill Children.
18. August 22, 2021: Hill-Con Paranormal Convention – New Castle, Pennsylvania
This sounds like an interesting event because they’re going to host three investigations at the haunted Hill View Manor that cover different aspects of ghost hunting.
19. August 26-28, 2021: MiParacon – Sault Ste. Marie, MI
The 11th annual Michigan Paranormal Convention once again brings the biggest names in the paranormal industry to Sault Ste. Marie.
20. September 10-12, 2021: Haunted Savanna Paracon – Savannah, GA
Join vendors and paranormal investigators for the first Haunted Savannah Paracon filled with speakers, lectures, workshops, vendors, paranormal investigations, ghost tours, and more.
21. September 17-18, 2021: WNC Bigfoot Festival – Marion, NC
Prepare for two days of Bigfoot fun at this cryptidcon!
22. September 18, 2021: Midwest Parafest at The Oliver House – Toledo, OH
This is the rescheduled 2020 event that will feature guest speakers, paranormal celebrities, authors, psychics and other paranormal experts.
23. September 18, 2021: San Antonio Paranormal Fest at Victoria’s Black Swan Inn – San Antonio, TX
This is the rescheduled date from the 2020 event. All previously purchased tickets will be honored at this “unique Paranormal Festival combining history, mystery, ghost stories, shopping, lectures, and food.”
24. September 18-19, 2021: Mothman Festival – Point Pleasant, WV
This annual festival grows a little more every year and celebrates the legend about one of America’s most mysterious monster sightings. People worldwide gather for guest speakers, live bands, tours, and even a 5K.
Summer 2021’s Halloween Cons
These are both for the people in the haunt industry who create the haunted attractions, make the props, design the costumes, apply the makeup, and the enthusiasts who live for Halloween.
1. June 26-27, 2021: Midwest Haunters Convention – Milwaukee, WI
The Midwest Haunters Convention is the largest Halloween show of its kind in the U.S. It’s dedicated to haunters of all kinds from scare actors and enthusiasts to Halloween-loving families, home haunters, and pro haunters.
2. August 13-15, 2021: Idaho Halloween & Horror Convention – Boise, ID
Tour haunts, shop vendors, attend classes (including “make & takes”), learn about creating special effects or applying makeup, boogie at a horror ball, feast at the undead buffet…there’s a lot happening at this Halloween fest!
3. August 20-22, 2021: CreepyCon Halloween & Horror Convention – Knoxville, TN
In addition to plenty of vendors of all kinds, there will also be performances and contests at “the creepiest show in town,” including a Zombie Beauty Pageant, Costume Contest, and a a Scream Queen contest.
Summer 2021’s Horror Fests
Horror fests allow fans of horror movies to enjoy everything from celebrity appearances and photo ops to cosplay and movie screenings.
1. July 2-4, 2021: Living Dead Weekend – Monroeville, PA
Here’s what makes this one fun, especially if you’re a Romero zombie movie fan: “An event like no other, it’s all here in the form of a huge fan gathering and convention. 1985 is coming back in 2021 with RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD and DAY OF THE DEAD reunions. Happening Inside the iconic MONROEVILLE MALL, which was used as the filming location for George A Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD.”
2. July 9-11, 2021: Midsummer Scream Halloween and Horror Convention – Long Beach, CA
3. July 16-18, 2021: Days of the Dead – Indianapolis, IN
Meet TV, film, and music stars like Richard Dreyfus from Jaws, Alice Cooper, and Corey Taylor from Slipknot, or browse a multitude of vendor tables.
4. July 30-August 1, 2021: Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Con – Rosemont, IL
5. July 30- August 1, 2021: Scares That Care Charity Weekend Virginia – Williamsburg, VA
This event has a big, spooky heart that raises money for organizations that help sick children, families with sick children, women fighting breast cancer, etc. You’ll find TV and movie celebrities here, horror fiction authors, as well as vendors. They even have a 5k! To date, they’ve raised and donated over $250,000.
6. August 13-15, 2021: Idaho Halloween & Horror Convention – Boise, ID
Tour haunts, shop vendors, attend classes (including “make & takes”), learn about creating special effects or applying makeup, boogie at a horror ball, feast at the undead buffet…there’s a lot happening at this Halloween fest
7. August 13-15, 2021: Monster-Mania Con – Cherry Hill, NJ
This horror con claims the “biggest names in horror come here first” and they just may be right. See stars like Danny Trejo (from the Machete movies among others), Matthew Lillard (Scream, Scooby Doo), Skeet Ulrich (Scream, Riverdale), Danielle Harris (Halloween 4 and 5), Amy Steel (Friday the 13th part 2, April Fool’s Day), and many, many more.
8. August 20-22, 2021: CreepyCon Halloween & Horror Convention – Knoxville, TN
In addition to plenty of vendors of all kinds, there will also be performances and contests at “the creepiest show in town,” including a Zombie Beauty Pageant, Costume Contest, and a a Scream Queen contest.
9. August 27-29, 2021: Crypticon Seattle – Seattle, WA
The name is a bit of a misnomer because it’s not a con that celebrates cryptids. However, it does revel in every kind of pop culture creepiness. It’s also perhaps the only one I’ve seen that says in order to attend, you must show proof that you’re fully vaccinated.
10. August 27-29, 2021: Days of the Dead – Atlanta, GA
Similar to the Days of the Dead event that will have happened in July in Indianapolis, you can meet stars at this one too, including Henry Thomas (E.T., Doctor Sleep), Dee Wallace (E.T. Cujo, The Howling), and Tony Todd (Candyman)…just to name a few.
11. September 3-5, 2021: Midwest Monster Fest – East Moline, IL
Meet stars like C. J. Graham (Friday the 13th), Thom Mathews (The Return of the Living Dead, Friday the 13th Part VI), and Linnea Quigley (The Return of the Living Dead; Silent Night, Deadly Night), along with many, many more.
12. September 3-5, 2021: New Jersey Horror Con and Film Fest – Atlantic City, NJ
Cosplay is welcome, so dress up and meet some horror movie faves, including Danielle Harris (Halloween 4 and 5), Kerri Green (The Goonies), and Sean Patrick Flannery (Boondock Saints, Saw), as well as others. Just don’t be surprised to find them in full makeup and costume from their most memorable roles too. That’s the fun of the photo ops at this con.
13. September 3-5, 2021: Sinister Nights – Miami, FL
Spend “Slayborday Weekend” mingling with celebs like Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th), and Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes). There’s also fun activities like attending an 80s Monster Prom or watching the Scream Queen Olympics. (And for the record, I’m totally using that Slayborday Weekend they came up with somewhere else. I don’t know where yet, but that’s brilliant!)
14. September 10-12, 2021: Colorado Festival of Horror – Denver, CO
They’re hopeful their first inaugural event can take place in-person as scheduled so horror fans can meet cool celebs like Victoria Price (daughter of horror movie legend, Vincent Price) and Brinke Stevens (a scream queen in Slumber Party Massacre).
15. September 10-12, 2021: HorrorHound Weekend – Cincinnati, OH
2020 shut down this horror movie, television and pop culture event that normally takes place at least a couple of times a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. They’re hopeful the pandemic will remain in check and allow this fall’s event to again happen in-person.
16. September 10-12, 2021: Texas Frightmare Weekend – Dallas, TX
Billed as the “Southwest’s Premiere Horror Convention,” they plan to have plenty of horror celeb guests on hand, including actors from Doctor Sleep, Night of the Living Dead, E.T., and more. That’s not even scratching the surface, because other celebs you’ll see include Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, Alice Cooper, Daphne Zuniga (Spaceballs, Melrose Place), Skeet Ulrich (Scream), Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen, Shutter Island), and Traci Lords, along with an impressive amount of even more.
17. September 10-12, 2021: Tidewater Horror Convention – Norfolk, VA
Meet Lisa Loring (The Addams Family, 1964), Ken Sagoes (Nightmare on Elm Steet 3: Dream Warriors), and Nicole Brown (Cobra Kai), as well as other movie and TV stars, or shop vendor tables at this horror con.
18. September 17-19, 2021: Fandemic Dead Atlanta – Atlanta, GA
Here’s where you can meet some of your favorite stars from The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead. The Exhibitor and Artist Alley is where horror and zombie fans can shop their brains out.
For More Info
To see what other events are coming up in the months ahead and if any are happening by you, visit our Paracons & Horror Fests page.
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Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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