Cincinnati Fear Fest (Williamsburg, OH)
“A True Town of Terror”
By Noah Wullkotte: jollypumpkin@aol.com
Cincinnati Fear Fest is unlike any attraction you’ll likely experience. This is because it’s located in Cinder Ridge (AKA Terror Town), a Ghost Town where a Halloween Festival of sorts is taking place. There’s a plethora of vendors throughout the town. You’ll notice that there are food trucks, specialty shops, bars and more. Watch a victim being hanged at the gallows or catch a spooky magic show. The vendors consist of horror items, 3-D printed toys, T-shirts, jewelry, crafts and so much more.
If you’re hungry or thirsty then don’t fret because you’ll find walking tacos, hot chocolate, camp fire food and much much more. There are secret bars which includes The Whispering Vines, Freaky Fun House and The Neon Rooster. We got a mixed drink and a cup of Blue Moon at the Neon Rooster. It’s a hauntingly beautiful bar with a variety of drinks. Plan to spend the entire night at Cincinnati Fear Fest because they have a lot in terms of entertainment. It’s truly one of the best midways we’ve seen in a very long time.
The last time we toured the haunt was in 2019. It was known as All Hollow’s Eve Terror Town. Back then the only haunt they offered was a haunted trail that was extreme to say the least. Fast forward to 2025 and it’s now Cincinnati Fear Fest. They now offer 4 uniquely different haunts that will surely send a chill down your spine. Haunted Houses include the Burn Yard, Pocket’s Playhouse, and Detox. Then there is the haunted trail called The Shadowlands. The Shadowlands is the best attraction at Cincinnati Fear Fest and the first we decided to tour.
This 12 minute haunted trail has a variety of scenes and scares. Are you a follower of Brother Joseph? You’ll experience scenes such as a makeshift graveyard, a catacomb of skulls, a cannibal woman confrontation and more. The yelling Bigfoot type creature was great. He ran off in the woods as he scared customers. The psychopaths did a decent job. They were bat shit crazy. The haunt ends with a wild chainsaw chase.
(The Neon Rooster is one of the secret bars in town.)
Next up is Pocket’s Playhouse. Enter Darkwood Theater where anything can happen. Walk through the backstage area of the circus. You’ll meet Pocket early in the haunt where he’s murdering a man. There are various clowns that will interact with you and even a gypsy telling fortunes. The marionette dolls were very creepy. Total tour time was 4 minutes which is very short. Pocket’s Playhouse exits into the Freaky Fun House bar.
The Burn Yard is a meat processing plant where the main ingredient is you! Human flesh has a tangy taste to it, don’t you think. This 4 minute haunt consists of some terrifying scenes that will make you want to turn back. The horrifying sights include a man being sawed into, hanging severed heads, bloody victims being cut open, body parts on an open fire, the Foreman’s office and more. The final scene was quite unique and will catch you off guard.
Last, but certainly not least is Detox. The website describes it as toxic drums have burst in the quarantine lab, flooding every corridor with glowing green sludge. Freaks wearing gas masks will hunt you down. Other scenes include a pharmacy, x-ray examining room, barrel room and more. I felt like I was walking through a swamp as I entered a low lying claustrophobia tunnel. We were shot with fog by a fog gun when we left. This is the shortest haunt at Cincinnati Fear Fest lasting just 3 minutes.
Total tour time for all haunts was 23 minutes, but could be longer depending on how slow you walk. There are scare zones which are The Raider’s Gauntlet and Cinder Ridge. We didn’t notice many characters roaming in the scare zones which was a little disappointing. Cincinnati Fear Fest’s Achilles heal is the length of its haunts. The town is beautiful and there’s tons of entertainment from the various shops and vendors. We had a blast, but the haunts need a little fine tuning. The Shadowlands is the highlight of the haunts.
Tickets are $26.99-$36.99 and it depends on the night you visit. It’s $9 more if purchased at the haunt. A Bar Creep Pass is a $10 add on and Fast Passes are an additional $15 to $20. Please visit www.cincinnatifearfest.com for more information on pricing. On October 17th (10am-4pm), Cincinnati Fear Fest is hosting an onsite blood drive with Hoxworth Blood Center. The first 20 donors will get a free General Admission ticket. All other donors will receive a free Unlimited Fast Pass upgrade (from General) as their thanks for saving lives. Their goal is to fill the equivalent of a bath tub (500 pints), which would save up to 1,500 lives. To show their appreciation to haunt fans, anyone who shows proof of purchase of a 2025 haunted house ticket (Cincinnati Fear Fest) or other, with matching ID, gets $15 off the gate price on Sunday Nov 2nd.
We had a great time at Cincinnati Fear Fest. If you’re not a fan of haunts then that’s alright because there’s so much you can do in town. There are vendors, food, refreshments, stage shows, music, bars and much much more.
Length-8 Design-7 Props-7 Acting-7 Scare Effect-7
Final Stab: 7.2
www.cincinnatifearfest.com