HALLOWEEN OR NOT ...
OUR FAVORITE SPOT!!!

‘Tis the night - the night
Of grave’s delight,
And the Warlocks are at their play;
Ye think that without
The wild winds shout,
But no, it is they – it is they.

-Arthur Cleveland Coxe

If you were looking for the scariest, yet entertaining Halloween amusement park this year, you needed to visit Busch Gardens. Their tradition of Howl-O-Scream never ceases to amuse and entertain the young and the old … year after year.

Voted “CN Best of Show” this year was their MONSTER STOMP REVAMPED which played at the Abbey Stone Theater in Ireland. This show had a very “spook’tacular” way of lightening up your evening before heading off to the eerie mazes located throughout the park (yes, witches and werewolf’s being devoured by the shrieks and laughter of all park visitors).

Monster Stomp is rated four out of five pumpkins by the park, which is sure enough to give you a terrifying chill. But it is still family-friendly. This alluring musical is filled with dreadful vampires, angry villagers, terrifying skeletons, howling werewolves, clever drummers and outstanding lead vocalists. These rock stars literally worked their “stages” off. They sang, danced and jived to popular rock songs such as Paradise By The Dashboard Light, Barracuda, and the finale, Beat It.

Did I mention a vampire? Well, you see … there was this vampire. A phenomenal, lead vampire, who mesmerized the crowd with his persona. Laced with a dash of Jack Sparrow, he was an entertainer who kept the audience in the palm of his hands throughout the entire performance. A superb singer and actor; topped off with a touch of comical spirit. Look out, Johnny Depp, the next generation has arrived.

Speaking of sharp skills and to the point ... there were these guys who used knives as drumsticks as they danced through their repertoire. Absolutely amazing … the fact that no one cut their fingers off in the process. Unbelievable!

And it didn’t stop there. So many talented individuals on one small stage in Ireland … you had to see it to believe it.

Next year be sure to pay a visit to Busch Gardens for they are dying to see you. It’s a promise for a night full of splendor and spooks for sure …

For there is magic in the night,
when pumpkins grow with candlelight.

By Brooke Mays