Cedar Point promises a scary, good time for HalloWeekends

SANDUSKY — Mutilated monsters march along the midway, searching for their "prey."Skinny skeletons strum instruments, playing tunes for an audience filled with warm-bodied flesh and blood-pulsing humans.Haunted house habitants welcome complete strangers into their dark domiciles, lurking around corners just to scare the living daylights out of guests.A HalloWeekends character greets people at the entrance of Hexed Lights Out, a new haunted house experience, at Cedar Point on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. The spooky sights and scary sounds could only mean HalloWeekends has returned to Cedar Point. The fall-themed experience debuts Friday and remains open on weekends through Oct. 28.Makeup artist Ashley Miller airbrushes a design on the face of Register reporter Andy Ouriel on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, at Cedar Point.Since closing on weekdays post-Labor Day, amusement park employees have feverishly worked to overhaul the peninsula into a Halloween haven. The makeover includes placing 91,200 cornstalks, 20,000 pounds of pumpkins, 2,200 gallons of fog juice, 2,000 bales of straw and 1,200 pounds of gourds throughout Cedar Point.People can expect the classic exhibits, namely the gravestones bearing names of "dead" rides. There's also many new amenities at other attractions. One is a challenge course within the Great Pumpkin Fest venue. Another is Zombie Jr. High School, where "students," or park guests, must complete six educational-related tasks handed out by "teachers," or zombies.Workers also spiced up the food, saturated in scary themes. For instance, the chicken wings are drenched in "blood", or red-dyed hot sauce. Of course, most rides stay open during HalloWeekends, with all 18 roller coasters operational.Makeup artist Clementine Lower works on airbrushing a mask for Cedar Point's HalloWeekends on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018.Jason McClure, Cedar Point's general manager and vice president, explained Cedar Point's all-in mentality for Halloween."People like the traditions of celebrating Halloween, and they look forward to doing that here," McClure said. "Every year, HalloWeekends is special because the park totally transforms. It's a completely different experience. While there is always the traditional favorites, there is always something new. That is what our guests are always expecting from us."WNWO NBC 24 (Toledo) porter and forecaster Karaline Cohen tests Charlie Brown's Challenge Course at Cedar Point on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. The challenge course is among the many new attractions appearing at this year's HalloWeekends, debuting this weekend.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.