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The annual 2017 Connecticut HorrorFest will be held this weekend at the Danbury Ice Arena, bringing together horror fans, celebrities and vendors from across the country.
Genre enthusiasts will have the chance to meet celebrity horror actors, hear from paranormal investigators and enjoy screenings of several cult fright films, courtesy of the show's sponsor, Connecticut-based Horror News Network.
“CT HorrorFest was really born out of a love of horror and wanting to have a homegrown, Connecticut horror convention," says Christine Caprilozzi, who co-founded the event with her husband, Rob. "The main goal is to throw it from a fan’s perspective and to make it all about the fan experience.”
New to this year's event is a one-of-a-kind zombie apocalypse survival, where participants are armed with a laser tag gun and fight for their lives against swarms of the undead. Additionally, dozens of horror actors and actresses will be on site to meet with fans, sign autographs and partake in panel discussions. This year's guest lists includes stars Sid Haig, Ken Foree and many others.
“The event has steadily helped to create a thriving horror community in the state and is our way of helping to bring them all together,” said Rob Caprilozzi. “We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from fans and are hoping to continue to grow HorrorFest and bring them more for years to come.”
The event begins Friday night with a movie night at the Palace theater at in Danbury. There will be a showing of "House of 1000 Corpses" with special guest Sid Haig. After the movie there will be a panel discussion with Haig, followed by a Q+A with the crowd.
The theater at 165 Main St. will open to the public at 7 p.m., with a bunch of movie trailers before the film starts at 8 p.m. Tickets to the movie at $15 per person.
On Saturday, the event moves to the Danbury Ice Arena at 1 Independence Way.
Come meet horror celebrities and shop horror themed vendors. (Note: Celebrity autograph prices vary and are at the discretion of the celebrity.)
Some of the celebrities slated to appear include Sid Haig, Ken Foree, Tom Morga, Dick Warlock, Adrienne Barbeau, Lisa Loring, Tom Atkins, Jordan Ladd, Nick King, Tom Fitzpatrick, Carmine Capobianco, Velvet Sky, Jason McLeod, the Rev. Larry Elward, Debbie Elward, Jeff Zornow, Sam Costello and Stacey Longo.
There will also be Zombie Laser Tag for $10 per person.
Other events include:
- 1 to 1:30 p.m.: Enjoy an acoustic set of music by Jess-O-Lantern.
- 1:30 to 2 p.m. Kid’s Costume Contest
- 2:15 to 3 p.m. Adult’s Costume Contest
- 3:15 to 4 p.m.: Paranormal Panel with the Rev. Larry Elward, an Independant priest who has performed hundreds of exorcisms; Debbie Elward, a paranormal investigator who has the ability to discern spirits; and Jason McLeod, a paranormal investigator and bestselling author. A Q+A will follow.
- 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. Indy Film Panel: Thinking of making your own movie? Learn tips, trials and tribulations from CT Indy film-makers Kurtis Spieler, Nick Papazoglou, Frank Wihby and Joe Pisani
- 5 to 5:45 p.m.: Tom Atkins and Adrienne Barbeau Panel: The 80s legends talk about their extensive horror careers
- 6 to 6:45 p.m.: Jason vs. Michael Panel: Tom Morga and Dick Warlock sit down to discuss their careers.
- 7 to 7:45 p.m.: Ken Foree Panel: Will talk about his career in horror with another guest.
Tickets are $25 for the Saturday event and can be purchased online. Children age 10 and under are free with adults. At the door, tickets are cash only. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday — preorder ticket-holders get in at 10 a.m.
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