Thrill Halloween 2017 Has Been Canceled — Here's Why

It looks as though Thrill Halloween has suffered an untimely death, even before it could happen.

The upcoming two-day craft and cultural event, which was originally scheduled to take place on September 30 and October 1 at the Phoenix Convention Center, has been canceled by its organizers.

Thrill Halloween was being produced by Square Egg Entertainment, the Valley company that also puts on Phoenix Comicon and its annual spinoff event, Phoenix Fan Fest.

The company announced Thrill Halloween’s cancellation on Wednesday, August 30. According to a statement sent out to local media, Square Egg decided to lay Thrill Halloween in the grave due to its unhappiness with how the event was progressing.

“Square Egg Entertainment prides itself on its commitment to the community and strives to produce the best events for its exhibitors, guests, and attendees,” the statement reads. “We are unhappy with the progress we have made as a company in producing Thrill Halloween and would rather cancel the event than offer something that is not up to our standards.”

Square Egg’s CEO and founder Matthew Solberg added that “producing a subpar event is not in alignment with our core values and mission statement.”

Full refunds will be available to anyone who purchased Thrill Halloween admission.

Thrill Halloween’s cancellation is the latest wrinkle in Square Egg’s attempt to develop a geek-friendly event during the scary season.

Last year, the company partnered with local artists Daniel and Dawna Davis of Steam Crow to put on Keen Halloween, a weekend-long festival at the Phoenix Convention Center’s South Building in September 2016.

The event, which was originally launched by the Davises in 2012, focused on crafting, costuming, decorating, and other creative aspects of the holiday. It also included a modest amount of programming, including storytelling sessions, a costume contest, and panels on ghost hunting.

Earlier this year, however, it was announced that the couple would “resume complete ownership and operation of Keen Halloween,” and they amicably parted ways with Square Egg.

Shortly thereafter, the company announced it was putting on Thrill Halloween. Sadly, as it now turns out, it won’t be happening either.

There's one bright spot to the situation, however, as Square Egg has also announced that it will revise plans for this year's Phoenix Fan Fest.

The two-day event, which will run from Saturday, November 11, to Sunday, November 12, at the Phoenix Convention Center, will now include a variety of programming and special guest panels.

And if you're eager to attend a Halloween event with a geeky flair, local artist Victor Moreno of Cult Classics fame has announced he'll be putting on Monster Market Phoenix on Saturday, October 7, at the Moxy Hotel in Tempe. The one-day celebration will feature artisans, craftsmen, and vendors with a spooky bent, as well as a screening of The Lost Boys.

Phoenix Fan Fest 2017 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 11, and Sunday, November 12, at the Phoenix Convention Center. Daily admission is $15-$20 and a full event membership is $30.