Six Flags Great Adventure: Fright Fest Extreme opens
Six Flags Great Adventure Resort ramps up the scare factor with the new Fright Fest Extreme, debuting Friday.
Weekends and select nights through Sunday, Nov. 3, guests can experience Halloween-themed attractions as new scares and classic shows take center stage at the Jackson theme park.
Guests who purchase a ticket to Fright Fest Extreme will step into a world where nightmarish creatures inspired by legendary horror brands come to life with Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures’ “Saw” franchise; Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and “Army of the Dead”; Warner Bros. Discovery’s “The Conjuring,” “Annabelle” and “The Nun”; Legendary Entertainment’s “Trick ‘r Treat” and Netflix & Legendary Entertainment’s “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
As the countdown to Halloween begins, guests are invited to prepare for the “largest, scariest and most EXTREME Fright Fest ever,” a release says, with nine haunted houses, five scare zones and four “monstertainment” shows. Classic haunted mazes will return, says Six Flags, along with the following new attractions:
- Big Top Terror — A sinister twist into the world of demented carnival freaks brings guests into a circus of horror that they can only hope to escape.
- Asylum — Angered by the tests and experiments they were subject to, the inmates of The Asylum have taken matters into their own hands.
- The Witches Reflection — Take caution when stepping into the witches’ cabin — her curse will haunt you forever.
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Fright Fest Extreme will operate most Thursday through Sunday evenings. Guests can enhance their fright by upgrading to an “RIP” tour, which provides guests with a personal “gore” guide and express access to all haunted attractions.
Six Flags notes that Fright Fest is not recommended for children under 13, and those who scare easily.
For Boo Fest, which runs weekends Sept. 14 through Nov. 3, the littlest ghouls and ghosts can trick-or-treat and enjoy a variety of family fun in Cornstalk National Park. Oktoberfest runs weekends through Nov. 3. More information is at sixflags.com/greatadventure.
Go: Fright Fest Extreme, begins Friday, runs Thursdays through Sundays through Nov. 3, Six Flags Great Adventure, 1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson, $65 to $150; sixflags.com/greatadventure.
Here are some other events happening at the Shore this weekend, including the third annual Red Bank Hispanic Heritage Celebration, and a Wind & Sea Festival in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown.
Fall festival at Argos Farm
Get a jumpstart on celebrating fall at the family-owned Argos Farm, where an annual fall festival kicks off Saturday.
The festival features pumpkin picking in a pumpkin patch, a “Peanuts”-themed corn maze, as well as pony rides and hayrides. There are plenty of pumpkin-flavored treats — pies, doughnuts, cookies, coffee and more — at the farm’s market.
The festival takes place weekends in September, and Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 3.
Go: Fall festival, Argos Farm, 1250 Lacey Road, Forked River section of Lacey, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 2 to 6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; $14.95 to $21.95 for admission, plus additional costs for various activities; argosfarm.com.
More:15 can’t-miss food and wine fests at the Shore this fall
Hispanic Heritage Celebration in Red Bank
The third annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Riverside Gardens Park in Red Bank.
There will be music, food, dancing, children’s activites and more “as the community gathers to honor the rich and diverse Hispanic culture,” a news release said. The free event coincides with the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Red Bank’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration is a collaboration between Red Bank’s Parks & Recreation Department, the Count Basie Center for the Arts, the Red Bank Public Library, the Red Bank Resource Network, as well as volunteers Itzel Perez, Julie Castillo and Brenda Codallos.
The event aims to honor the invaluable contributions and achievements of the Hispanic community, and to strengthen the bonds within the broader community, the release said.
The rain location is at Red Bank Middle School, 101 Harding Road.
Go: Hispanic Heritage Celebration, 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Riverside Gardens Park, 42 W. Front St., free; 732-530-2782, [email protected].
Wind & Sea Festival at Bayshore Waterfont Park
From kayaking to sandcastle building, the Monmouth County Park System’s Wind & Sea Festival offers fishing, kite flying, seining, shell painting and more.
The family-friendly event takes place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Bayshore Waterfront Park in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown.
Festivalgoers can also see sand sculptor John Gowdy at work, get their face painted, and go on a Selfie Scavenger Hunt. The Wind Wolves Traveling Kite Show will be there, as will representatives from the Coast Guard, the New Jersey Kayaking Club, and the local environmental group Waterspirit.
The event also includes tours of the Historic Seabrook-Wilson House, a Children’s Art Mural activity, and food vendors. Most activities are free, but some may have a fee. Admission and parking are free.
Parking is available at the Belford Ferry Terminal, 10 Harbor Way, Belford section of Middletown. A shuttle bus will transport visitors to and from the ferry terminal to Bayshore Waterfront Park.
Go: Wind & Sea Festival, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Bayshore Waterfront Park, Port Monmouth section of Middletown; 732-842-4000, MonmouthCountyParks.com.
Atlantic Watch Pipes and Drums fundraiser in Red Bank
It’s halfway to St. Patrick’s Day, and Red Bank-based Atlantic Watch Pipes & Drums wants to celebrate.
The band, which promotes Celtic heritage and traditions through musical instruction and performances, is hosting a Red Bank Pub Crawl from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets are $40.
The band has been invited to play in Normandy, France, in 2029 to commemorate the 85th anniversary of D-Day, and money from the pub crawl goes to help defray the costs associated with travel for the group’s more than 20 members and equipment.
Meet at the Elks Lodge #233, 40 W. Front St., to get your wrist band and event pint glass.
Go: Atlantic Watch Pipes & Drums pub crawl in Red Bank, 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, meet at Elks Lodge #233, 40 W. Front St., $40; 347-470-3351, atlanticwatch.org.
‘Back to School’ film series in Asbury Park
ShowRoom Cinema invites moviegoers to journey back to the hallways and hangouts of high school with their “Back To School” film series.
The series features three beloved high school classics that capture the spirit and struggles of teenage life. Screenings take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays.
The fun begins Thursday with “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” as a group of Southern California teens navigate life’s ups and downs. Directed by Amy Heckerling, the film stars Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Judge Reinhold.
On Sept. 19 it’s “American Graffiti,” directed by George Lucas and starring Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss. Set in the early ’60s, the film takes you through one night in the lives of a group of friends on the brink of adulthood, capturing the essence of youth, freedom and cruising.
On Sept. 26 it’s “Sixteen Candles,” directed by John Hughes. Follow Samantha (Molly Ringwald) as she deals with the trials of turning 16, from forgotten birthdays to unexpected crushes, in this coming-of-age story that still resonates today. Also stars Anthony Michael Hall.
Tickets for each movie are $15.
Go: Back to School film series, ShowRoom Cinema, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, through Sept. 26, 707 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park, $15; 732-502-0472, showroomcinemas.com.
‘Stardust Road’ in Beach Haven
Surflight Theatre presents the recent off-Broadway hit “Stardust Road.” Told through the music Of Hoagy Carmichael, the show tells the story of six friends and the one man who brought them all together.
It’s a story of camaraderie and shifting relationships through four decades in America: the early years of ragtime, jazz and blues; the romance of New York in the 1930s; the tumultuous and uncertain years of the World War II era; and the post-war Golden Age of Hollywood.
Paula Hammons Sloan directs and choreographs the show, described in press materials as a “tap-dancing spectacle.” “Stardust Road” runs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Go: “Stardust Road,” through Sunday, Surflight Theatre, 201 Engleside Ave., Beach Haven, $43, $33 for kids 12 and younger; 609-492-9477, surflight.org.
Shine at Pines! car and truck show
Pines Village Life Plan Community and Jersey Shore Car Shows hosts the Shine at Pines! car and truck show Saturday in the Whiting section of Manchester. The family-friendly event will feature a vintage car competition, giveaways, live music and more.
Individuals interested in competing in the car show can register on Saturday for $10. Trophies will be awarded. Note that competitor space is limited to 100 vehicles.
Spectators can view a variety of automobiles on the grounds of Pines Village, and also take an open house tour of the renovated campus. The event runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Jersey Shore Car Shows is a Southern New Jersey guide to the local car scene.
Go: Shine at Pines!, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Pines Village, 509 Route 530, Whiting, free ($10 to enter the car show); jerseyshorecarshows.com/pines, fellowshiplifeinc.org/pines-village/event/shine-at-pines-village-car-truck-show.
‘A Tribute to All Things Broadway’ in Lincroft
At 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, the Monmouth County Park System hosts “A Tribute to All Things Broadway” at the Thompson Park Theater Barn, 805 Newman Springs Road.
Presented with Sway Productions, this showcase features local talent performing songs, scenes and dances from Broadway musicals including “The King and I,” “Chicago,” “Legally Blonde” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”
Tickets are $15, $10 per senior, $5 per child 12 and younger. Pre-registration is available at MonmouthCountyParks.com or by calling 732-842-4000, ext. 1. Tickets also can also be purchased at the door.
Light refreshments will be served during intermission.
Go: “A Tribute to All Things Broadway,” Thompson Park Theatear Barn, 805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, $15, $10 for seniors, $5 for kids 12 and younger; 732-842-4000, ext 4312, MonmouthCountyParks.com.
Sarah Griesemer contributed to this story.
Have an event coming up? Tell us about it. Email Bill Canacci at [email protected].
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