Halloween Goes Hollywood At Bell Works Grounds In Holmdel

HOLMDEL, NJ — Haunt O' Ween NJ will land in Holmdel on the Bell Works grounds starting this Friday, Sept. 30, and stay through Halloween, organizers say.

Hundreds of thousands of guests are expected to enjoy over 200,000 square feet of "the most over-the-top, spooky fun, and authentic Halloween environments in the entire country," creators of the experience say.

The California-based event has chosen New Jersey to begin its national expansion, they say. There will be the original "Southern Cal" event going on too, the creators say.

The Experiential Supply Co., an experiential productions and attractions company, and Fever, the global entertainment discovery platform, are behind the New Jersey event.

Haunt O' Ween's "epic concept" is one of the first in the country to put the entire holiday on display in one place - in one "vast and unique" format, according to a news release from the organizers.

Comprised of nine distinct and wholly immersive worlds, Haunt O' Ween NJ lets guests adventure "through the massive grounds with thousands of photo ops, over 25 live character performers that they can engage and interact with, face painting, rides, games, trick-or-treating, dancing, and more."

There is no time limit, so guests are welcome to stay for hours and enjoy all the ghoulish mayhem, they add.

Specialized attractions include:

• Dance Domes in Beyond The Grave Rave
• Rides and games
• Almost $1M worth of candy to "trick and treat" the attendees
• Live music, stunt performances, and pumpkin carving

Tickets start at $40. Tickets can be purchased at www.hauntoween.com.

Here are some other things to know if you plan to go, according to the Bell Works Events site:

• Opening hours: Fridays: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. (last entry 9 p.m.)
• Saturdays and Sundays: 1 p.m. – 9 p.m. (last entry 8 p.m.)
• October 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 and 31: 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. (last entry 9 p.m.)
• Duration: There is no time limit
• Location: Bell Works, 101 Crawfords Corner Road
• Age requirement: all ages welcome. Children under the age of 2 go free
• Accessibility: the event is wheelchair accessible and there are bathrooms on site
• Costumes are highly encouraged
• Safety measures will be in place throughout the experience
• General Admission is for $40 per person, plus a $4 booking fee
• Group Bundle for $36 per person!

Some elements of the experience include:

• Trick-or-treating in the Town of Haunt O' Ween
• The streets of Ghoul City
• The Farm House
• The Hidden Hollows
• Beyond the Grave Rave
• Multiple custom bounce houses and inflatable slides
• Make your own potions at the Moonlight Magic DIY Potion Bar
• A wide selection of food and beverage, including adult treats

"We've worked very hard this year to put on the country's largest and most magical Halloween experience for all ages. Over 200,000 square feet of immersive thematics flooded with interactivity, all built on the foundation of Halloween – trick-or-treating, pumpkins, costumes, and spooky fun," said Jasen Smith, Experiential Supply founder and chief experience officer.

"We cannot wait to welcome thousands of families in the Southern Cal and New Jersey area this year to our massive creation," he added.

The company explained how it came to be in the Halloween business:

Experiential Supply puts on large scale experiences for film studios in Hollywood. From themed interactive screenings to multimillion-dollar micro theme parks to promote theatrical releases, the events were always free to attend and promotional in nature, the company said.

Haunt O' Ween grew from pandemic restrictions in 2020.

"The original experience was designed as a drive-thru in the Los Angeles area to make sure kids could still trick or treat. Cars would drive from house to house (that were built by the company) and candy was quite literally dumped into their cars," the company statement said.

Similarly crafted Southern California-based events are their Christmas Wonderland and Sugar Rush - a candy-inspired Wonka-like world.

In 2021, Haunt O' Ween transformed into an in-person format, focusing on the engaging nature of Halloween and immersing guests in a myriad of activities. Over 100,000 attendees received over 3,000,000 pieces of candy, the company says.

Bringing the event to New Jersey in 2022 is part of its plan to offer this type of complete immersion to Halloween fans everywhere.

"This is about families having a safe and incredibly fun place to enjoy the holiday and there's just nothing like it," said Smith.

For a taste of what Haunt O' Ween NJ has to offer, check out this video.

There will be food and beverages available so that families can enjoy a full night out, organizers say.

Past sponsorships include FX - "What We Do in The Shadows," Warner Bros. Pictures, "The Witches," KiwiCo, Happy Dad Hard Seltzer, Malibu Wines, and "The Addams Family 2."

Here is more about the companies behind Haunt O' Ween:

Experiential Supply creates large-scale, immersive experiences for such big budget movies as "IT: Chapter 2," "Ready Player One," "The LEGO Movie," "Smallfoot", and more.

Fever is a global, live-entertainment discovery platform, helping millions of people every week to discover the best experiences in their cities, "with a mission to democratize access to culture and entertainment in real life," immersive exhibitions, interactive theatrical experiences and festivals, among other events.