The Party Legacy of Friday the 13th - An Origin Story

(Pictured here is Swingshift Sideshow from the party of 2022)

Friday the 13th is a day surrounded by superstition and horror. Aside from Halloween, it can be the scariest day of the year. What makes it even scarier is that you never know when the day is going to pop up and give you a day of superstitious dread. Also, let's not forget that Jason Vorhees is a multi million dollar franchise that surrounds Friday the 13th. The Fear Faire Friday the 13th Festival pops out of the mothballs only on Friday the 13ths to change that superstition into a delightful party and celebration.

Unlike Wednesday Addams, the founders of The Fear Faire were not born on Friday the 13th. One of them was, however, born on the 13th. To her luck - her 16th, 21st, and 50th birthdays all landed on Friday the 13th. So, parties on Friday the 13th seem like the right thing to do. In fact, why not build the biggest Friday the 13th party that people can seek out so they can party and have fun for the whole weekend and fully take in the superstition surrounded by Friday the 13th?

While the origins of the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th are a bit murky, there will never be a year without at least one and no more than three in a single calendar year. Fun fact, the months that start on a Sunday are the months that will have a Friday the 13th. The fear of the number 13 is said to have started with Loki (Of course it did) when he showed up for a dinner party as the 13th & uninvited guest to cause havoc that ultimately made the world go dark, making 13 unlucky. Thank you Loki!

So unpacking the superstition around Friday the 13th, the day should be celebrated like Halloween, especially by those of that want Halloween to happen every day. The Fear Faire, like the Renaissance Faire but for horror, is doing just that. It is a party for the celebrators of the strange, weird, and creepy. Like a Jack in the Box (Possibly one of the scariest children's toys ever made) The Fear Faire comes out of the box only on Friday the 13th weekends in cities between California and Nevada and then disappears back into the creepy little box it came from at the end of the weekend.

The Fear Faire is the biggest Friday the 13th party coming in January to southern California. (The last stop in 2022 was in Las Vegas.) Next stop NOS Event Center in San Beranrdino, home to some of the biggest raves in the country, so they know how to party!

The party opens on Friday the 13th with a ball, a come as you are or come in costume ball (appropriately called "Dead Man's Prom Nite") At the ball, there is a costume contest, live bands and a DJ, and other great surprises. The ball is hosted by some of the greatest freakshow performers in the world (they hold records) and is there for people to have a great time and party. The party is so big that it is contained in three separate buildings, so even if Loki makes it rain, it is going to be a wild and amazing good time. Friday is also the opening reception for the International Horror Film Festival taking place in one of the three buildings. International filmmakers will be joining the party along with some of the biggest cosplay influencers in Southern California. You can even get your legacy Friday the 13th tattoo at the tattoo collective in one of the buildings. The wild, the weird, and the creepy are all invited to join in the party. (The devil has sponsored the rum and there are some great IPA beers ready for consumption.)

On Saturday the 14th, the party continues. There is a Seance room with shows throughout the day and a special FX makeup battle with talented MUAs (makeup artists) from California and Nevada. Screenings of the finalist films from all over the world continue in the screening rooms and round table discussions take part throughout the day. There are kid's areas and a game room where people can chill out before they visit the mainstage where just under 20 alternative bands will play live in concert over the weekend. The party continues with contests and challenges including the infamous "Paqui: One Chip Challenge" where normal people might be able to actually breathe fire after eating the hottest chip in the world. Saturday is filled with sideshow too with several variety and freakshow performances throughout the day. There are also some immersion experiences that are going to creep you out. Couple this with special guests and their oddities collections and you have a great "day two" of this amazing party.

On Sunday, The Fear Faire ends the weekend with a collection of celebrity paranormal investigators to discuss and celebrate proof of life (or something) behind the veil of death. Dave Schrader (The Holzer Files and others on the Travel Channel) will be joining the conversation with Napa Ghosts and others (announced soon) to talk about real life ghost encounters and talking about the process of discovering the paranormal. There are also psychics to help reach beyond the veil. Sunday, closes the three day party.