Haunt season for most usually starts in September and ends in early November, but at Woods of Terror, we are open periodically throughout the year to make sure our customers can get their “creepy fix” outside of haunt season. Having off-season events has really been a game changer for the haunt industry, and Woods of Terror is proud to be one of the pioneers.
Our first off-season show that starts immediately after haunt season is Terror in the Dark. It is usually the weekend after Halloween (the first weekend in November), and we shut out almost all the lights in the haunt houses and let customers walk through with only a glow stick to guide the way. Many customers have stated this is one of the most terrifying events they attend at Woods of Terror because they are basically blind walking through the haunt, which gives actors a chance to scare them even more than they already do. We keep our Midway area well-lit so that the contrast from leaving Midway and entering the haunted houses is jarring.
Terror in the Dark might be our longest-running off-season event, with us doing it for over 10 years now. Customers often ask that if they are too afraid to walk through the haunt on those nights, can they just sit in the Midway and enjoy the fun yet frightening atmosphere. The answer is always yes! We understand that nights such as Terror in the Dark might be too intense for some to handle, so we do offer Midway-only passes.
Our next event that follows Terror in the Dark is Krampus. This is a Christmas-themed show that usually takes place at the beginning of December. The idea came from the real holiday Krampus Nacht, which is an annual Alpine tradition celebrated on the night of December 5th immediately before the feast of St. Nicholas on December 6th. Traditionally, during these festivals in old European countries, communities hold crazy parades full of people dressed like the horned, half-goat, half-demon creature that is Krampus. Woods of Terror does the same thing with a twist. We have several Krampus characters roaming the haunt and in the monster parade, along with many other traditional and non-traditional Christmas characters.
For Krampus, we also give the entire haunt a makeover during this time. We take down some of the fall/Halloween décor and replace it with Christmas lights and scary holiday characters and props. Only half of the haunted houses are open for this event, but the houses have been flipped to match the Christmas theme. For example, last year we took our Stranger Things house and turned it into Oogie Boogie’s Nightmare and filled it with actors and props that made the house look like it was straight out of the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Following Krampus is a short break until February, when we have our Valentine of Terror show. This year, 2026, was our first time having this event, and according to our customers, it was a huge hit. This show is vampire-themed, and almost all the actors are bloodthirsty vampires looking for their next meal in the haunt. The haunted houses, much like during Krampus, are flipped to reflect vampiric movies and themes that are familiar to the public, such as The Lost Boys and Queen of the Damned. During Valentine’s Day weekend, customers are encouraged to come out and enjoy the haunting experience, and if they are lucky enough to have a date, we offer a Couples Package, which includes two general admission tickets into the haunted houses and a meal for two. Only half of the haunted houses are open for this event as well.
After our Valentine of Terror show, Woods of Terror closes for a few months. During this time, some of the haunted houses are flipped to prepare for our next event, which is Halfway to Halloween. This event usually takes place the first weekend in May. Halfway to Halloween is a witches-and-warlocks-themed show due to it falling on or around the pagan holiday called Witches Night (Walpurgisnacht or Hexennacht). This celebration marks the halfway point to Halloween and is famous in Central and Northern Europe for its crazy bonfires, folk dancing, and celebration of the seasons changing.
How Woods of Terror celebrates Halfway to Halloween is by terrorizing our guests with our crazy monster parade full of witches and warlocks and other bone-chilling characters, having half the haunted house open with the houses being flipped again to reflect the witchy theme, and of course, live entertainment from our amazing house band, Crypt Kicker. Customers look forward to this event because they usually are craving anything Halloween at this point of the year.
Overall, Woods of Terror takes pride in being able to bring Halloween to its customers year-round. We know that the spirit of all things scary isn’t just limited to October or fall but instead should be celebrated throughout the year. What better way to celebrate it than at the scariest haunted house in North Carolina?
