Shaqtoberfest–the event of the season, the event I keep getting ads for on my social feeds, but what is Shaqtoberfest? I’ll tell you one thing, Shaqtoberfest is the most unexpectedly amazing Halloween event in Southern California this year.

Obviously, I know about this event because it’s my duty to know about the biggest Halloween events in L.A., but if you’re just the average Angeleno, you might have only heard of Shaqtoberfest in passing, or not even heard of it at all. I’m here to fix that because Shaqtoberfest is my favorite Halloween event so far in 2022 (yes, even above Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash).

Shaqtoberfest is a massive Halloween festival in Long Beach that’s filled with food, haunting trails, scare actors, bars, and carnival rides. There are even different attractions depending on the time of day you go. Before 8 PM, it’s a family-friendly event where people of all ages can ride rides, walk through mazes, and trick-or-treat. Then, after 8 PM Shaqtoberfest transforms into a spooky, scary, and haunting event that’s best for teens and adults.

Let me first tell you that the drive to the Queen Mary in Long Beach is totally worth it for Shaqtoberfest. I know driving all the way out there can be a deterrent for L.A. folks, but trust me, do it for this event. The production value alone is worth the price you pay for tickets and miles you drive to get here. From the moment I walked in through the giant Shaq inflatable tunnel, I was amazed by all of the props, decor, and overall details of the event. I felt like I was in a haunted shipyard.

I walked through the Shipwreck Graveyard, past Dead Man’s Wharf, and onto Midway Madness only to find free carnival games, ticketed carnival rides, and tons of eateries, including Pink’s Hot Dogs, Hot Dog on a Stick, and so many more. Of course, I had to stop for a corn dog and fries, and it was delicious, as expected. I enjoyed my meal from the great seats in front of the LVCRFT stage at the Block Party Zone!

On top of eating my way through Shaqtoberfest, we also went through a bunch of their haunted attractions. I’m not a person who likes to go through haunted houses, but for some reason, I was feeling brave this night, and by association, Arjuna was too. We braved these haunted trails and had so much fun! They were a perfect balance of scary, spooky, and entertaining.

It was hard to find any cons to this event, and all I could come up with are two recommendations. First, I wish the website had an FAQ section and informed visitors about the $20 parking fee at the Queen Mary’s lot. Then, I’d also recommend they add scare-meters to each of the haunted trails. Some trails are scarier than others, and I’d like to know on a scale of 1 to 5 Shaq’s how scary is it!

If you couldn’t tell already, I had a GREAT time at Shaqtoberfest. Here are some things that I loved (which is basically everything):

• Great value for money. This is one of the few events where I felt the different ticket tiers had visible benefits. I had Fast Break tickets, and we barely had to wait in any lines. I’d recommend that over general admission or V.I.P.

• There are so many things to do and you could spend your whole night there.

• It’s great for all ages.

• LVCRFT was a great DJ and even when they were on their break, the music was hype all night.

• So. Much. Food. There were excellent food options.

• The scare actors were fun, well-costumed, and scary, and seemed like they were having a great time.

• It’s basically a haunted carnival, which I love!

• It had an incredible production value and felt very involved and immersive.

• The event staff was very well-trained and efficient.

• They even had a bar within haunted scare trails! Make sure you visit the one within the Lost City Boardwalk.

All in all, hurry up and get your tickets to Shaqtoberfest because you’re not going to want to miss this Halloween event this year! Hopefully, it comes back next year!