Scarefest in St. Louis 2021

Haunted house season is upon us and this year Scarefest is back in St. Louis with The Darkness, Creepyworld, and The Lemp Haunted House! With so many new and different attractions this year, it is definitely time to revisit the scariest destinations in the area!

This past weekend my wife and I managed to go to two different haunted houses. Friday night we went downtown to the Soulard area and checked out The Darkness for the 2021 season. Terrifying is an understatement. With new covid precautions in place you can be worry free as you navigate the twists and turns through-out this remarkable scream inducing labyrinth of horror. We arrived early to avoid the lines and when we left you can see the crowd was getting bigger. With plenty of parking, security, and screams, The Darkness is something to embrace rather than avoid this time of the year!

The actors and performers at The Darkness were top notch. Their costumes and performances were knocked out of the park. They thoroughly scared me and my wife. That girl swinging and bouncing around in one of the areas has been ingrained in my head as absolutely terrifying. Let’s just say my heart was pumping and it took a while for the adrenaline to wear off.

After a night of getting my head straight we were back at it again. This time we ventured out to Fenton to visit Creepyworld. This place is literally like a whole other world. Fog, lights, strobes, sounds, and so much more fill so many different haunted attractions and each and every one of them lives up to the Creepyworld name. With 13 haunted attractions in one location including the all NEW Slaughter and Sons Funeral Home – Tales of Terror – The Pumpkin Barn and an all-new Krampus haunted house. Creepyworld also features St Louis’ ONLY Haunted Hayride ‘Trick R Treat Haunted Hayride.

Creepyworld is the longest haunted house in the St Louis area by far! Bring your camera as Creepyworld features multiple photo ops for you and your friends! Creepyworld features several haunted houses including Haunted Asylum, Haunted Prison, Haunted Hospital, Sleepyaway Camp, Krampus, Blackout, Silo-X, Haunted Mansion, and the new Sleepy Hollow 3D haunted house. It takes over one hour to complete so bring your friends and scream together!

While we did not get there early enough to avoid a line, we did not have to wait too long to make our way through this hellish adventure. Plus while waiting in line there was plenty of terror to be had. Actors come through and visit with guests and there is also a huge projection setup telling the story of several of the attractions.

Camp Crystal Creek was one of my favorites. Our family is big into Jason and the Friday the 13th lore, so seeing this area fleshed out with well, flesh, and of course Jason, just makes it even scarier. The Krampus house was also a highlight. With more lighting to highlight the Christmas gore and the enslaved children forced to work by Krampus, it really puts a damper on the holiday season.

REMEMBER CREEPYWORLD IS ALMOST COMPLETLY OUTSIDE UNDER THE PALE MOONLIGHT! SCREAM WITH YOUR FRIENDS THIS HALLOWEEN AT CREEPYWORLD with the biggest RENOVATION in our HISTORY!

We plan on visiting the Lemp Brewery Haunted House this year as well. We just have to fit the trip in our schedule, but judging from the photos, it looks amazing and just as creepy and scary as The Darkness and Creepyworld. Follow me on social media for more photos when we do visit!

The Darkness, Creepyworld, and Lemp are all worth visiting this season. I have got to say, props and amazing work by all that make these haunted houses possible. From the actors, designers, and builders, to the security and sales clerks. Check out some of my behind the scenes at The Darkness photos! A haunted house is a great escape from reality with all of the drama and craziness we all endure day after day, and Scarefest is the place to make that happen. It’s amazing what a couple hours of screaming your head off will do for your mental health!

You can grab tickets at the ticket booth or online at Scarefest.com

Follow The Darkness on social media for more awesome details!

Twitter @Scarefest
Instagram @Scarefest
Scarefest on Facebook.com/stlouismissourihauntedhouses
The Darkness on Facebook.com/DarknessHauntedHouse
Creepyworld on Facebook.com/CreepyworldHauntedHouse
Lemp on Facebook.com/lemphauntedhouse

Each locations has different Covid-19 precautions and rules and regulations are changing all the time. Be sure to check out their website if you have any questions!

Ready To Try Some Wild Camping?

You don’t have to stay in a campsite when going camping. Wild camping involves pitching up a tent in the wilderness. This could be anywhere from a forest to a field. 

Wild camping does mean having to go without luxuries like bathroom facilities and wi-fi. However, there are advantages to this raw form of camping. Firstly, there are no campsite fees to pay. Secondly, it gives you more freedom as to where you stay – it’s a chance to explore the great outdoors more freely and intimately (when it comes to multi-day treks of mountains and national parks, wild camping may be the only form of accommodation). 

Of course, there’s more to wild camping than pitching up a tent in a field. There are certain dangers to be wary of and obstacles to consider. This guide offers a few essential tips for those considering wild camping. 

Bring the right gear

If you’re going wild camping, you’ll need to take certain gear with you that might not need to when staying in a campsite. You won’t have access to water on tap, so consider bringing some bottled water with you. Purification tablets and a water filter could be necessary if you plan to drink from natural water sources (you can find more information on drinking water in the wild here https://artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-find-water-in-the-wild/). If you’re going on a hike and planning to camp in different locations along the way, make sure to bring a light tent and light clothes. Consider bringing food and a gas stove with you too. Equipment like axes could be useful if you plan to make a fire and need to collect some firewood. This guide offers a few examples of axes that could be worth buying https://knowpreparesurvive.com/gear/axes/best-bushcraft-axes-reviewed/. Don’t forget to bring a lighter and some firelighters.  

Know the local laws

There are some places where it is illegal to pitch up a tent. This includes any kind of private land (unless you’ve got the landowner’s permission) and most urban parks. However, when it comes to national parks and public woodland, you can usually camp overnight anywhere unless there are signs that say otherwise. This site offers more information on where you can legally camp in the US https://www.nps.gov/subjects/camping/where-can-i-camp.htm. Be wary that laws may differ abroad. 

Find the right spot

On top of making sure that your camping spot is legal, you need to make sure that it’s practical. Firstly, make sure that the ground is flat so that it’s comfortable. If there is a small slope, make sure that your head is positioned facing uphill when sleeping. Secondly, you need to make sure that you can put pegs in the ground. If the ground is too wet, they’ll slip out. If it’s too hard, you won’t get them in. Where possible, avoid camping under trees so that your tent doesn’t get covered in sap and to avoid dangers like falling branches. Feeling safe is very important – it’s worth always considering local dangers before pitching up a tent somewhere. Make sure to take advantage of any good views.

This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.

Lights! Camera! ACTION!

That’s right! Filming has started on the newest short-film coming from St. Louis Dad and his tiny cast and crew. This time we are picking up where Jason Beware ended. It will be our first sequel/prequel film with the premise being it starts off where the first Jason Beware ended and then quickly sends the audience back in time to learn the true beginnings of this new generation of horror.

The film is filled with an all-child cast except for one highly notable name that will be announced soon! The kids are doing everything from acting to working as the crew behind the scenes with help from myself and my amazing wife. The sequel had been in the pre-production stages for a few months before we finally got everything in place for production to begin this past weekend. We will be shooting on an iPhone and in 4K HD, and editing in Sony Vegas! We also have a sound engineers working on an absolutely spectacular sound design for this fan-film. We plan to premier later this summer for free on YouTube. Be on the lookout for more news, clips, and more for Jason Beware 2!

We shall see how everything comes together over the next few weeks of principal filming. Then it will be onto post-production where we edit it all together, put some sounds to add some depth, and of course the special effects!

Wish us luck!!!

Jason Beware 2 is being produced by Missouri Mobile Productions and is starring Alex Williams reprising his role as the deranged serial killer Jason! Abby Williams will be playing a new character Investigator Annie Summers, and of course we have plenty of supporting roles that will be announced very soon! Check out the original Jason Beware fan-film to see where it all started! I am super proud of these kids. They are working hard memorizing their lines and helping getting the sets ready to go.

Winter Home Woes And How To Solve Them

It’s fair to say that through the winter months can bring numerous challenges for homeowners that you need to be aware of and prepare for. If you do this, you can avoid problems with property damage and expensive repairs. Let’s explore some of the biggest winter woes that you can face and how to handle them the right way. 

Snowed In

It’s possible that you get snow this winter. This can be quite the nightmare because it could stop kids getting to school or you being able to reach work in the morning. To tackle this issue, you ideally need to invest in a high quality snow blower. The best snow blowers will make fast work of snow that’s built up around your property. Of course, you could already have a snow blower that just isn’t working as well as it should. If that’s the case, then you might need to think about fixing it. If you navigate to these guys, you’ll find some great advice on how to make the right repairs here. 

Water Trouble

Alternatively, you might find that there are issues with water in your home. If the rain starts to fall, even the smallest hole or gap in your roof can be a complete and utter nightmare. The good news is that it’s easy to handle trouble like this. You just need to contact a roofer and get them to check your roof before the winter weather sets in. Ideall, you should make sure that you are exploring issues here around the fall to give you enough time to get them fixed. Remember, if you leave this for too long, the problem can get a lot worse. 

Lights Out 

You might find that you have issues with power outages through the winter months. This can occur due to problems with the wind or it might be due to snow falling on the lines. In either case, the power going out can be a massive problem. Particularly, if it occurs at an inopportune moment such as when you’re cooking a meal on Christmas day. That’s why you might want to think about investing in a backup generator. These are a lot more affordable than most people realize and will fit into a typical budget. 

Pesky Pests 


It’s a well known fact that insects in the home become more common through the winter season. However, people do tend to forget that this can also lead to a full blown infestation. You need to be wary of this problem and ensure that you are taking the right steps to prevent it. This can be a case of filling in any cracks along the walls of your property. You might also want to think about laying down some bug spray and traps to ensure that a problem like this doesn’t catch you by surprise. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the common issues that you can have with your home through the winter months and what you can do to solve these problems. If you take the right steps, then you can avoid a lot of problems with property damage and headaches further down the road. 

This post is a collaborative effort by St. Louis Dad.