Fright Fest 2026 Returns to Six Flags Over Texas, Plus Fall Daytime Events

A flurry of fall festivities kicks off this weekend at Six Flags Over Texas, and we’ve compiled the latest details on everything happening across the park.

Fright Fest

Fright Fest, the park’s signature Halloween event designed for mature audiences, runs from September 11 through November 1. This year marks the park’s 38th year hosting a Halloween event.

Fright Fest begins each evening with The Awakening, a brief front gate show that releases the various creatures, zombies, and characters into the park’s scare zones.

Haunted Houses

For most visitors, the main draw of Fright Fest is the haunted houses (also referred to as haunted mazes or haunted attractions). While there are no new haunted houses for 2026, several IP-based attractions return to anchor the lineup:

• The Strangers: No Escape
• SAW: Legacy of Terror
• The Conjuring Universe

Two original concepts also return:

• Terror at the Polynesian Palm
• Eversmile Industries

A Haunted Attractions Pass is required for all haunted houses and can be purchased online or at stalls in the park. Haunted Attractions Express Passes give priority access over the regular line. Visitors who don’t already have a season pass or membership can buy Fright Fest bundles that include park admission and a Haunted Attractions Pass.

Scare Zones

The biggest new addition for Fright Fest 2026 is Doc Varnum’s Hybrid Hell Pit, a ‘premium’ scare zone described as a “backwoods-inspired sideshow realm featuring never-before-seen hybrid creatures, mysterious swamp fog and unpredictable encounters around every corner.” Unlike other scare zones, which are included with park admission, Doc Varnum’s is treated as a premium experience and requires a Haunted Attractions Pass.

A new Día de los Muertos scare zone debuts in the Mexico section. Other returning scare zones include:

• Outlaw’s Revenge
• Forsaken Fairgrounds
• The Last Harvest
• The Plague

If your goal is to navigate the park’s scare zones (some of which are virtually impossible to avoid) without attracting the scares, buying a No BOO Necklace at various gift shops will provide the power to repel the scare actors.

Shows & Entertainment

The featured new show for 2026 is Wake the Dead, described as an interactive murder mystery located in the Southern Palace. The Spectral Sisters return from last year, offering jazz-influenced musical performances with comedic skits and quips between songs. Ballet de Folklórico: Día de los Muertos blends traditional dance with Day of the Dead imagery in the Mexico section of the park.

More Information

For full details, including showtimes and tips, visit our Fright Fest Event Guide. To see where everything is located, check out our Interactive Park Map and turn on the Fright Fest overlay.

Tricks and Treats

Families wanting a kid-friendly Halloween experience without the horrors of Fright Fest will enjoy the adjacent Tricks and Treats event. Running weekends September 12 through November 1 during daytime hours, Tricks and Treats offers a variety of activities including:

• Trick or Treat Trail – kids can grab a bag and go door-to-door collecting candy
• Kids Costume Contest – everyone’s a winner at the kids costume contest
• Hay Bale Maze – navigate through bales of hay to find surprises around each corner and reach the exit
• Pumpkin and Mask Painting – take a break for some arts and crafts time by decorating Halloween items

 

Shows & Entertainment

Family-friendly entertainment during Tricks and Treats include:

• Skelebration Dance Party – this interactive party will encourage audiences to stand up and move their feet along with performers
• Looney Tunes Spooktacular Dance Party – another interactive dance party with everyone’s favorite Looney Tunes characters
• Mike Williams Magic – local magician Mike Williams will dazzle with a variety of closeup tricks and illusions

Our video of Six Flags Over Texas Fall Events from last year shows some of the family-friendly fun available during the day.

More Information

Visit our Tricks and Treats event guide for more details including showtimes and pictures.

Oktoberfest

A relatively new event, Oktoberfest returns to Six Flags Over Texas for weekends from September 12 through November 1. It’s the perfect daytime accompaniment to Fright Fest, letting guests enjoy German-inspired foods and a variety of beers while waiting for the sun to set and the terror to begin.

Food and Drinks

Oktoberfest is of course mostly about the specialty food and drinks. Past Oktoberfest events have included what you would expect: pretzels, sausages, schnitzel, along with cakes and treats.

• 

  Chicken-apple sausage with German potato salad

• 

  Bavarian-style pretzel with a side of beer cheese

Entertainment & Fun

Of course it wouldn’t be Oktoberfest without live entertainment, and this year’s event features Gutentag! singing classic German folk tunes. The original event press release also mentioned a brass band yet the current show schedule does not list this.

Beyond the shows, Oktoberfest guests can enjoy Tap Zee Keg when the festivities officially begin with the ceremonial tapping of the beer keg. The Last Stein Standing competition is a test of physical endurance as participants hold out full steins out to their side, competing for the glory of holding the last stein.

The Oktoberfest area also has a few party games to maintain the fun in between rounds.

More Information

For more details including food and drink menus (once available), check out our Oktoberfest Event Guide.