HFTH FAQ

ARE ANIMALS ALLOWED?

Only service animals are allowed.

IS CONCEALED CARRY ALLOWED?

No concealed carry is allowed at this event.

IS THE EVENT APPROPRIATE FOR KIDS?

YES! But it also depends on your spawn. Parental discretion is advised. The event does feature monsters walking around and acting spooky. But they don't do jump scares. Also keep in mind that and all of our vendors sell gothic and horror-related merchandise. Some kids (and adults) may find the content upsetting. If you and your kids like Halloween, visiting the event should be a great family experience. Parents must keep kids in their presence at all times. Kids 12 and under are free.

There are several attractions for kids at the event so the whole family can join in the fun. See FUN FOR THE KIDDOS on the Attractions page for more info on all of our kid-friendly activities.

HOW DO I BUY TICKETS? DO YOU EXCEPT CASH AND CARD?

PRESALE/ONLINE: Presale tickets can be purchased on this website (card, PayPal & Venmo) and are recommended for faster entry. BUY TIX

DOOR: Tickets can also be purchased with cash or card at Entry (6th floor).

WHAT KIND OF TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE?

GENERAL ADMISSION: DAILY & WEEKEND TICKETS

On the ticket page you can purchase Daily (Saturday or Sunday) and Weekend tickets. They can not be changed or refunded. We highly recommend the Weekend Pass so you can enjoy all of the activities as each day has different attractions.

WEEKEND VIP PASS:

The VIP Pass offers the most exclusive experience! It allows you entry for the entire weekend and exclusive perks: Skip the line privileges for the guests (one skip per guest), priority seating for all of the Panels and Q&As, exclusive VIP lanyard and badge, free digital photo with Evil Santa, this year's exclusive VIP Gift ("Not Today Santa" mug), event poster and some Blood Over Texas swag. Only 50 VIPs will be sold!

• Craft Classes and Professional Photo ops are in addition to your General Admission/VIP. You must have a General Admission/VIP ticket to purchase the additional Craft Classes and Professional Photo Ops.

• General Admission/VIP do not guarantee that you will meet a guest.

CAN I GET A REFUND?

No refunds are given for tickets or vendor spaces unless the event itself is cancelled.

WHERE IS THE VENUE?

The event takes place at the HILTON AUSTIN in downtown Austin (500 East 4th Street, Austin 78701) — in between Neches and Red River St. and 4th and 5th St. The hotel is about 10 miles from the airport, in the heart of downtown, and within walking distance of serval restaurants, bars and clubs.

STAY AT THE HOTEL: Discounted rooms are available until October 21st. Book a room before that deadline to get our group discount. You must use the link on our website to get the group rate. BOOK HERE

WHERE DOES THE EVENT TAKE PLACE IN THE HOTEL?

The event takes place on two floors of the hotel. The 4th floor and the 6th floor. There is no 5th floor. The floors are connected by escalators and multiple elevators.

MAN BALLROOM (6th floor): The main Entry and main floor where Vendors, Special Guests, Evil Santa, Cosplay Contest, Krampus Parade, Professional Photo Ops and Craft Classes take place.

SCREENING ROOM (4th floor): The Blood Over Texas Film Fest and Screening Room. The Screening Room is where the Horror Shorts, Panels, Guest Q&As, Special Screenings and Filmmaker Meetups take place.

When you arrive, go to the lobby on the 6th floor to get your wristbands. If you bought online, show your ticket on your phone or a print out at Entry. You can also buy tickets onsite at Entry.

Make sure to have your wristbands before you go to the 4th floor Screening Room! Staff will not be able to sell tickets on the 4th floor. The 4th floor staff will only be able to check wristbands.

ARE STROLLERS AND WHEELCHAIRS ALLOWED?

Yes. The venue is ADA compliant and the walkways are large enough for strollers and wheelchairs.

WHAT KIND OF ACCESS DOES THE VENUE OFFER?

The hotel is ADA compliant and has multiple elevators and escalators with both tile and carpet flooring.

IS THERE PARKING?

There's plenty of parking at and around our new venue!

Day parking is available at the hotel for the discounted price of $10 (check the hotel for overnight parking price). Please be aware that the hotel garage has a height restriction of 8ft.

Additional parking is also available across the street in the Convention Center parking garage, several lots around the hotel and street parking. Most street parking is free on Sunday, but make sure you check signs. We don't have exact pricing or times for the Convention Center Parking Lot that is located across the street (5th and Red River), but you can check their site HERE.

HOW DO I MEET THE SPECIAL GUESTS?

The guest tables are located throughout the Market (Main ballroom on the 6th floor). Guests will be offering autographs, photos and (sometimes) merch for a cost. Guest prices vary by guest and in most instances those prices are listed on the SPECIAL GUEST page. Prices are subject to change. A good estimate would be $20-80 each for an autograph or photo. Most guests will offer a deal for both.

WHAT IF THERE IS A LONG LINE FOR THE GUESTS?

In the event a guest gets an extra long line, we will implement a numbering system where attendees can get a group number and a time to come back in line. The staff at the guest tables will give attendees all of details on how that works if it's necessary.

IS THERE A CHANCE THAT I WON'T BE ABLE TO MEET A GUEST?

There is a low chance that you won't be able to meet a guest but it does depend on how long you're at the event. If you'e only there for a few hours and you want to meet a popular guest, a long line can make that difficult. Each guest varies on how much time they spend talking with a fan so this can impact how many people they can see in a day. Guests do take breaks throughout the day for lunch and take part in photo ops and Q&As. We don't normally experience "busting-at-the-seams" attendance so your chances of meeting a guest here, is more attainable than at the giant conventions.

Don't forget that VIP passes allow for skip the line privileges. Plus even more exclusive perks if you really want to enjoy the weekend in VIP fashion.

CAN I BRING ITEMS TO SIGN FOR THE GUESTS?

Most Guests are okay with signing items you bring from home and they charge varying prices. Some guests have a limit to how many items they will sign and some won't sign certain items for personal reasons. Unfortunately we're not always given all of the details ahead of time. If we know their preferences, we'll post them with their autograph/photo prices on the Special Guest Page.

CAN I BRING ITEMS TO GIVE TO THE GUESTS?

We won't say you can't, but keep in mind that guests are flying in for the event. They have very limited room in their suitcases to take stuff back home. So they may not be able to accept a ton of gifts. Which we know breaks their hearts!

HOW DO I GET A PROFESSIONAL PHOTO WITH A GUEST?

Professional photos are provided by Cue Photography. These scheduled photos take place in a meeting room at the event and are taken by a professional photographer and in a professional setting. Typically you pre-purchase the sessions directly with Cue Photography before the event and are able to pick the day and time slot. If there are any time slots left by the time the event happens, you may also be able to purchase them at Entry. Cue Photography will be setup next to our Entry (6th floor). If you don't want to miss your chance to get a session, we highly suggest you buy them early. Go to the PHOTO OP page to get more info and the link to buy.

DO THE GUESTS ACCEPT CASH OR CARD?

This is decided by the guests themselves. Most accept both. Some only accept cash. It's always a good idea to have some cash on hand. There are ATMs located in the venue.

DOES IT COST TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH EVIL SANTA?

Yes. Our professional photographer offers photos with Evil Santa: Digital hi-res photos for $10 and 8x10 prints for $20. Digital photos will be uploaded to an online gallery for download. Prints made onsite.

HOW DO I JOIN THE KRAMPUS PARADE?

We invite the public to come dressed as Krampus to take part in the parade and get a chance to win the crown of Krampus King of 2026. To get details on the parade and see the requirements, see the KRAMPUS PARADE section on the Attractions page. We do allow kids to join the parade, by holding onto chains guided by our holiday creatures, at the end of the line. If parents want to join, we appreciate them being in some kind of costume. This is a parade after all!

Krampi must have an entry ticket to take place in the parade. In the past we've allowed free entry to Krampi but, since we're now featuring a Horror Cosplay Contest, we want to make sure that both contests are consistent for fairness sake. But that also means, we added a cash prize to the Krampus King competition!

HOW DO I CHEK OUT THE FILM FESTIVAL?

The 2nd annual Blood Over Texas Film Fest takes place at Horror For The Holidays Expo in the Screening Room on the 4th floor. The Film Fest takes place from 11am-10pm on Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sunday. See the FILM FEST page for more info. You'll want to check out the full schedule (announced closer to the event) so you can plan your day. Nominated horror shorts will take place in horror blocks so you check out the films that are eligible to win at the Awards show on Sunday. The Screening room will feature the Panels, Guest Q&As and Special Screenings. The Filmmaker Meetup will take place in the lobby on the 4th floor.

Submissions for horror shorts are open until October 15th. See the Film Fest page for the link to submit via Film Freeway.

HOW DO I TAKE A CRAFT CLASS?

Classes can be pre-purchased on our site and are in addition to your entry ticket. Space is limited so make sure to grab a space in the class before the event. If there are spots available when the event gets here, you'll be able to buy a class ticket at Entry. Go to CRAFT CLASSES to see this year's classes.

All classes are taught by experienced teachers and include all supplies. The classes take place in a meeting room on the 6th floor.

DO YOU WELCOME COSPLAYERS?

We do love a costume! We encourage cosplay and costumes at the event. No actual weapons or firearms are allowed. No free entry is given for cosplayers, costume-wearers or Krampi.

We have many opportunities for cosplayers at the event. Including a new HORROR COSPLAY CONTEST, the big KRAMPUS PARADE and our LIL' EVIL ELVES opportunity for the kiddos.

HOW DO I APPLY TO BE A VENDOR?

This is a curated event and all vendors go through an approval process. They must sell horror, gothic or dark-themed merchandise and must fill out an application to be considered. We also try not to have too many vendors selling similar merchandise. No A.I. art is accepted. The link to apply is located on the MARKET page. No refunds are given for any reason unless the event itself is cancelled.

WILL THERE BE FOOD AND DRINK AVAILABLE?

No outside food or drink is allowed. The hotel has multiple restaurants, bar and a Starbucks located in the main lobby. There will also be a food and bar cart available for our event on the Main Ballroom (6th floor) and a popcorn and bar cart for the Screening Room on the 4th floor.

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

HOW TO COVER THE EVENT?

For press inquires and contact information, visit the HFTH PRESS ROOM

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