Now in its second decade of thrilling the horror fans of Connecticut and all neighboring states, CT HorrorFest stormed the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford on the weekend of September 20th-21st and did not disappoint. Following up on the May convention in Stamford, the first time the HorrorFest folks have hosted a second show during one calendar year, CT HorrorFest made sure to provide its biggest show yet complete with fresh new faces on the horror scene, legendary actors and actresses well-known to the genre and its devotees, and even some surprises here and there. CT HorrorFest had it all
Long aisles of a wide array of horror vendors greeted the attendees upon entering, and offered everything from horror posters and shirts to vintage VHS tapes, original artwork and figures to toys and scented candles. There was even a “life-size” Coraline doll standing four feet tall and the hottest craze for the upcoming holiday season, the mysterious Labubu’s. The masses were also provided top notch horror-themed food featuring a (bat)wings and tots station along with a selection of maggots(mac) and cheese dishes.
The impressive roster of celebrity guests that graced CT HorrorFest wowed the faithful fans with selfies and stories galore. This year featured Richard Harmon from the latest Final Destination film, a double-take of Art the Clown (Terrifer) actors with the first man to don the tiny hat (Mike Giannelli) along with Bobby McFarlane, who’s performed the stunts as Art in both of the sequels. And while this convention does like to have a pro wrestler onboard, this year featured Hall of Famer and wrestling legend Kurt Angle willingly putting his fans in the ankle lock (it’s true, it’s true)! Representing Jason Voorhees this time around was Derek Mears, who donned the hockey mask for 2009’s reboot of Friday the 13th.
Reunions are always a fun attraction, and CT HorrorFest offered the best. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025 is the zombie classic Return of the Living Dead, and here for the party (and brains!) were Linnea Quigley, Beverly Randolph, John Philbin, Miguel Nunez Jr., Thom Matthews, Jewel Shepard and Tarman himself, Allan Trautman. And let’s not forget that Halloween is just around the corner, and representing the underrated Halloween III: Season of the Witch were Tom Atkins, Dick Warlock, Stacey Nelkin and writer/director Tommy Lee Wallace. The stars of Cujo were in the house as Dee Wallace and Danny Pintauro took part in the fun (sadly, the four St. Bernards used in the movie were unavailable.) And with the holidays approaching fast, the first two Silent Night, Deadly Night film stars Robert Brian Wilson and Eric Freeman did their best Santa Claus impressions for the folks in attendance.
Speaking of the holiday, horror royalty Chris Sarandon (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Fright Night, Child’s Play) was at CT HorrorFest to delight both kids and adults alike. And joining Mr. Sarandon as co-headliners at this year’s event was Hollywood heavyweight John Cusack. Photo ops with both of these incredible guests were popping off all weekend.
Once again fans were treated to a full slate of panels ranging from a conversation with Zach Galligan to a reunion with stars from The Howling. But this year CT HorrorFest presented its inaugural “Connecticut Frights Film Festival”, featuring short horror films from new and creative directors all vying for the top prize!
And another first was unveiled at CT HorrorFest…….a championship belt awarded to the winners of both the Saturday and Sunday costume contests! This impressive piece of hardware was battled over with two cosplayer emerging victorious and claiming bragging rights as CT HorrorFest’s world heavyweight champion cosplayer!
Fun and thrills were had by all at CT HorrorFest in Hartford, and the party won’t stop. The next horror convention will be in Stamford next August 22nd and 23rd as we make our much-anticipated return to the Marriott.
Keep it tuned to Horror News Network for all of the information on CT HorrorFest and New England Halloween Fest, and see you all in 2026!
Saturday Panels:
Saturday Panels:
