What You Need To Know About Shaqtoberfest In Long Beach

LONG BEACH, CA — Long Beach's first Shaqtoberfest, launched by basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, started on Sept. 29. Here's what you need to know before you go.

The Halloween celebration will have activities starting at 6:00 p.m until 11:30 p.m. on select days through Oct. 31. The interactive experience is perfect for family-friendly fun with trick-or-treating, games, treats, entertainment and haunted trails for everyone to participate in.

“Halloween can’t come soon enough,” O’Neal said. “Thirteenth Floor Entertainment and I have some tricks up our sleeves to make this the most spook-tacular Halloween event ever!”

Tickets start at $34.99 for regular general admission, but there are other tiers of tickets available that offer access to different experiences.

• General Admission tickets give visitors one-time access to trick-or-treat trails and/or Twisted Trails. The price for adults is $34.99, and the price for children is $24.99
• Fast Break tickets include everything that general admission tickets do as well as preferred seating at Boat Dock Bar and Tiki terrace bar. The price for adults is $44.99, and the price for children is $39.99.
• VIP Slam Dunk tickets give visitors access to the Shaqtoberfest event anytime during operating hours. Perks include expedited access at entry and trails, preferred seating at Boat Dock Bar and Tiki terrace bar, VIP Deck access and one signature cocktail or beverage. The price is $89.99.

Shaqtoberfest takes place alongside the Historic Queen Mary at 1126 Queens Hwy. the location is one of Los Angeles' most haunted landmarks.

Nearby parking lots and garages include:

• The Queen Mary Lot at 1126 Queens Hwy. costs $3 an hour to park at or $15 for up to 12 hours.
• The Aquarium/Queensway Bay Parking Garage at 99 Aquarium Way costs $3 an hour to park at or $15 for up to eight hours.
• The Pike Parking Garage at 65 S. Cedar Ave. costs $3 an hour to park at or $15 for up to eight hours.

Throughout the day, different attractions will take place, including:

• Diesel's Pumpkin Patch offers kids a traditional Halloween experience where they can trick-or-treat, look at pumpkin statues or play at inflatable play zones during the day. During the nighttime, the pumpkin patch transforms into a dance party featuring a light show and a Shaq Diesel mix of music.
• Midway Madness is a street carnival that includes a funhouse overrun by clowns. The carnival will include rides, games and food as well as trick-or-treating during the day. After 8 p.m. the location is adult only.
• Lost City Boardwalk is located underneath the gangways alongside the haunted Queen Mary. During the day guests can trick-or-treat alongside inhabitants who have been stuck in the 1920s, but after 8 p.m. "ghastly characters" will emerge to mingle.
• Shipwreck Graveyard lies between the boardwalk and a nearby fishing village where rusted vessels and withering cargo give off an eerie vibe as they're shrouded in coastal fog. Seafaring undead wanders the location where families can trick-or-treat until 8 p.m. During the night adult visitors can enjoy a spook form the dangerous inhabitants.
• Deadman's Warf will have visitors navigate past the reaching tentacles of sea monsters. During the day the local lighthouse keeper and fisherman guard pass out candy to children and keep them safe from the creatures. However, their shifts end at 8 p.m. so adults should proceed to the wharf with caution.
• Pirate's Cove will have guests make their way through dark alleys and caves, dodging treasure-hungry pirates. Within the cove is a secret pirate lair "Captain Shaq's Hideaway" where guests can grab a shot of rum punch, toast to his life and fire a cannon.

“SHAQTOBERFEST will be unlike any other Halloween attraction that we have ever produced, and we couldn’t be more excited to be launching it at one of the area’s most well-known locations and show our fans what we’ve created for them," said Chris Strafford, CEO and Founding Partner of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment. "Not to mention, we’re really excited to be able to produce an event in Long Beach, which has a long-running history of hosting amazing Halloween celebrations.”