NEIU students gathered at Parking Lot J on Oct. 26, 2024 for Six Flags Fright Fest. Starting at 1:45 p.m., two Student Government Association (SGA) representatives started taking attendance for the Fright Fest trip in Gurnee, Illinois.
Once checked in, all students were given standard admission tickets. Every student had to pay $20, which included the one day ticket, bus ride, a meal, a snack and a drink. With the last bus arriving at Six Flags around 3:20 p.m., all students were told that they had free rein until all the buses left at 11 p.m. Therefore, all students had almost eight hours to roam the park and go on the rides.
Some of the more noted rides, when talking to students after the event, were Raging Bull, Maxx Force, Superman: Ride of Steel, the Goliath and that does not even take into account the other attractions Six Flags offer for those who dislike rollar coasters. While it was a normal park for the first few hours, after 6 pm., the park turned into how Fright Fest usually looks advertised on TV.
At sunset, lights were then turned lower to create a more atmospheric look. Fog machines were set up, actors were out dressed in scary costumes, black lights turned on with fluorescent paint under a bridge and on the actors.
For those who made it to the area around the exit, later in the night, there would be an animatronic pumpkin-head. This animatronic was creating a scene about how the souls of the undead would rise to “capture the souls of the scared.” And during that spectacle, there would be fire plumes and skeletons flying up from the water —- as the pumpkin-headed animatronic’s minions.
Once the day ended and all the students piled onto the bus for the ride back to campus, some were carrying stuffed animals won from the games at Six Flags as they had several types of games, which ranged from the classic balloon pop, bucket toss, and duck fishing game to the newer style arcade machines like stack the block and string cutting prize games.
Overall, the students enjoyed a fun day different from the typical weekend during the school semester. With transportation, tickets, and food taken care of for $20, it was an enjoyable time for the students who attended.
