My family attended Six Flags Over Texas Tricks and Treats/Oktoberfest/ Fright Fest this past weekend after missing it for a few years. I think the kids' activities during the day were much better than they have been in the past and I'll get into those in a minute. The nighttime "scares" were much calmer, more organized, and (in my opinion) less scary - it seemed to us that teenage girls were the most scared by the costumed performers. Lots of screams there. We did not go inside the haunted houses as that requires purchasing a separate ticket ($30).
The park wasn't too crowded during the day. Most of the Fright Fest revelers seemed to trickle in later in the afternoon. Although the lines were shorter, a lot of rides kept breaking down especially popular rides like Batman, Titan, and the Texas Giant. The line for the new Aquaman was quite short - keep in mind the front row gets SOAKED.
Tricks and Treats
For kids, there is a fun little Trick-er-Treat area in the French area where the Fort stands. Kids and adults can get a free bag and go door-to-door ringing the doorbells for treats. In previous years, costumed characters handed out candy in the Bugs Bunny Boomtown area. There are characters to see but on a different street further away from the Bugs Bunny Boomtown area. It's not exactly a trail like advertised, more like just a bunch of small houses in a circle. And, for convienence, the restroom is next door.
Right outside the Trick-er-Treat area, between the Icey shack and the restaurant are tables set up for pumpking decorating and/or mask making - both are free.
At the entrance of the Looney Toon area, is a haybale maze with costumed mice to visit. Fun for very young kids. The maze closes much earlier than the rest of the area. During Fright Fest, the Bugs Bunny Boomtown rides stay open later than normal which is great.
Oktoberfest:
This event is in the small Biergarten just past the games area. They had german-style treats (like brats and pretzels) and adult drinks for sale. Games such as bags (bean bag toss) and jenga for anyone to play. There was a fun band playing songs (Oompah Delics). The workers were dressed in German-style outfits and did go around checking on customers. A good place to relax while you're at the park but not a destination in itself.
Fright Fest:
The actual event starts after 5pm CST when the sun starts going down. Although it's open to anyone, I don't recommend young kids to participate as it can be scary especially the loud chainsaw noises. If you stay really late, guests can become rowdy and throw a lot of f-bombs. They were selling a special glowing necklace which was supposed to limit the scares but it does say it's not guaranteed. Personally, I didn't think the "frights" were scary but it was loud and smoky.
There are 6 haunted houses (a special ticket to enter is required and can be purchased at booths nearby, at the park entrance gate, or online).
There are 5 scare zones each with a different theme. You can easily spot them as they will be running smoke machines. This is where you will find lots of spooky props and costumed performers will interact with guests.
There are also several Halloween-Themed shows which start earlier than Fright Fest itself. We watched a Ghouling Pianos singing show which you can hear from the street. Other shows include Toxicity, Raging Inferno (heavy metal show), Curse of the Undead (gunfighter show), and Dia de Los Muertos (Mexican dancing show).
Just a sampling of some of the interesting foods and alcoholic beverages that were being sold.
Fright Fest Map:
https://static.sixflags.com/website/files/sfot_ff-guide.pdf
For more information, check out:
https://www.sixflags.com/overtexas
