HalloWeekends offers many new spooky and spectacular sights

SANDUSKY — The kids are back to school. The summer heat is starting to wane. And, just like that, summer will soon be coming to an end.While there is still plenty of time to hit up Cedar Point this year, now it is time to enjoy the new season for the Great Pumpkin Fest and HalloWeekends.New at the Great Pumpkin FestCedar Point's HalloWeekends is broken into two distinct themes. During the day, families can safely explore the midways with kid-friendly activities throughout the entire park.New for 2018, guests can enjoy Charlie Brown's Challenge Course, where kids race each other side-by-side with obstacles such as a balance beam, rock wall, slide, corn pit, tires and more.Two new tween-focused experiences will be added this year that join Magical House on Boo Hill and Hexed Spellbound:• Zombie Jr. High will feature no scare actors. Guests must complete six class periods where they will be challenged with a variety of activities.• The Mystery of Boeckling's Eerie Estate is also a scare-free maze, where guests complete challenges similar to the game of Clue to determine HalloWeekends Whodunit.HalloWeekendsHalloWeekends at Cedar Point returns and debuts Friday. Park hours are 6 p.m. to midnight Fridays, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays On Sunday, Oct. 7, hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The changing of seasons is always a great time to reflect on the past as well as look forward to seeing Cedar Point transformed for HalloWeekends. As we get excited for fall, the first thing guests will notice is a completely transformed midway with new props and decorations throughout.For 2018, Cedar Point offers six indoor haunted houses, six outdoor scare zones, 70 rides, and 28-themed kids activities. More than 2,000 bales of straw, 1,200 pounds of gourds, 91,200 corn stalks, 20,000 pounds of pumpkins, and 2,200 gallons of fog juice are used to decorate the park this year for HalloWeekends.More than 300 monsters roam the park — and, to get them ready for the evening, it takes 27 talented makeup artists. At all Cedar Fair parks, including Cedar Point, the masks are made at Knott's Berry Farm in California. Once received at the park, the makeup artists then customize them for each actor, depending on their scare zone/maze.Trail of the ForesakenTrail of the Foresaken replaces Maniacal Mechanical Screamworks, in operation from 2011 through 2017, and combines the beauty of the Frontier Trail with a new scare zone.Trail of the Foresaken will feature Frontier Town folks lurking the trail into the worst phobias after a spell was cast on the whole town.Hexed Lights OutWhile the daytime Hexed experience remains the same, where families can solve puzzles to make their way through the maze, Hexed Lights Out gives guests a new experience. Now all the lights are off, and the only way to get through the maze is with a small flashlight. Better hope the batteries last long enough to make it to the end.New Fall ShowsAmong the entertainment lineup at HalloWeekends:• Skin & Bones Band: A happy band of skeletons are dying to entertain. It's located on the Main Midway.• Midnight Syndicate: Conspiracy of Shadows: A blend of orchestral horror music, live performances and movie-style sound effects from Ohio's own macabre music maestros, Midnight Syndicate. It's located in the Jack Aldrich Theatre.• The Call of the Scare: New for 2018, Call of the Scare, which uses projection mapping and live actors to kick off the nightly HalloWeekends activities. It happens 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday on the Main Midway.• Whistlin' Willie's Western Wake: A family-orientated revue of your ghoul-time favorites in the Palace Theatre.HalloWeekend remindersPark hours are 6 p.m. to midnight Fridays, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays On Sunday, Oct. 7, hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Guests can save up to $16 off the gate price when purchasing at CedarPoint.com. Ticket packages are also available that include Fright Lane, overnight accommodations and more.Cedar Point is also offering a special student identification offer on Friday nights. Purchase an adult admission ticket for Friday night and get one free with student ID.Editor's note: Justin Dietz is a Register correspondent representing CPFoodBlog.com and @CPFoodBlog on Twitter.