Carolina Fear Fest 2024 Preview

I’ve been to my fair share of horror film conventions up and down the east coast, and after attending for the first time last year, Carolina Fear Fest in Raleigh, NC is already on the shortlist for my favorite convention. As I announced earlier this spring, I will be returning to Fear Fest as a credentialed press member this year, celebrating “Five Years of Fear” this weekend, and I’m even more excited now than I was for my first visit last year. For the fifth year of Carolina Fear Fest, the convention organizers have a lot of great things scheduled for the weekend, and you’ll find a brief rundown of events here.

First things first, the venue is one of the biggest perks to attending Carolina Fear Fest — if you’re used to going to horror conventions that take place in big hotel showrooms that always get cramped easily, visiting Fear Fest will feel like a breath of fresh air. Located in the Jim Graham Building of the NC State Fairgrounds, the Fear Fest team makes the most of the 100,000 square feet of open floor space, being able to have all of the convention’s programming under one roof while still having enough room for there to be no traffic jams or lack of walking space. Overheating and stalling are not an issue at this convention, and it’s so enjoyable that it’ll honestly make you wish every horror show utilized the building throughout the year.

The biggest attraction to every convention is the celebrity guests, and Carolina Fear Fest has yet another stacked list of genre icons making appearances throughout the weekend. The convention has a wide array of guests that will appeal to any and all demographics of horror fandom, from the legendary mainstays like Bill Moseley (Rob Zombie’s Devil’s Rejects/Firefly trilogy, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Repo! The Genetic Opera) and Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise) to actors attached to huge horror properties that don’t always visit the Carolinas while on the convention circuit like David Arquette (Scream franchise) and Costas Mandaylor (Saw franchise, Beowulf) along with new and upcoming talent like Amelie McLain (Terrifier 2). For a show that’s still relatively new, the eclectic roster ranging from established legends to can’t-miss newcomers is very impressive, and just the tip of the iceberg of things to look forward to at this year’s convention. To see the full guest list, click here.

Carolina Fear Fest 2024 features over 130 different vendors for every horror fan’s shopping needs, whether you’re on the hunt for artwork, collectibles, handmade products, taxidermy, apparel — to put it bluntly, just about anything horror related that you could think of can be found at these events. You can also find content creators advertising their work here, from podcasters to indie filmmakers. There’s truly no excuse to be leaving this show empty-handed, and you can prepare in advance by checking out the full vendor list here.

Out of all the horror conventions I’ve been to over the years, Carolina Fear Fest seems to be the most interactive and eventful of them all — it’s more than just a weekend-long autograph signing and shopping spree, because there are so many different types of events going on each day of the convention. Alongside the Q&A panels with the celebrity guests, Carolina Fear Fest also offers short film screenings, costume contests, discussion panels focused on different topics within the horror genre, special effects workshops and demonstrations, live entertainment, and even a variety of horror gaming available. Much like leaving empty-handed, it’s your fault if you’re bored at this convention, because the organizers have made an incredible effort to make sure there’s something for everyone at their event. Partaking in these activities is not only an educationally immersive experience, but it’s also a fun way for horror fans to come together and meet people with like-minded interests while celebrating the genre that we all love. For the full programming schedule, click here.

Carolina Fear Fest 2024 takes place this weekend at the Jim Graham Building of the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, NC, May 24-26. Friday, May 24 is only open to VIPs and weekend pass holders, whereas Saturday/Sunday tickets can be purchased individually. For ticket information, click here.

As I said earlier, I can’t wait to be back at Carolina Fear Fest this weekend, and I’m looking forward to covering the event throughout the weekend! For more Fear Fest information, click here. See you soon!

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