Tickets are available for purchase online. Tickets are limited and may not be available for purchase at the door.
We hope you fill find the following answers to our Frequently Asked Questions helpful. We also suggest joining our Facebook Fan Group where you will find help from hundreds of our fans in addition to our “Staph” and post your own questions there.
Tickets are available for purchase online. Tickets are limited and may not be available for purchase at the door.
WE SUGGEST YOU DO NOT PURCHASE TICKETS SECOND HAND OR THROUGH OTHER PLATFORMS. SCAREFEST USES TICKETSPICE FOR ALL TICKET SALES.
If you have lost your ticket(s) or confirmation email you may always retrieve them by visiting the links that we will provide below once tickets go on sale:
For Convention Tickets: Link Available Soon
For Photo Op Tickets: Link Available Soon
Not unless you feel like it or are one of the dozen people in the country still using a flip phone. If the email with the QR code is on your phone, we can scan it from that. If it is easier for you to find it, feel free to screen shot the QR code. As long as we can see it, we are good to go.
Funny story. The human based staff inside the venue cannot tell a REAL ticket QR code from a fake, copied, or already used one. The QR code is scanned when you arrive and then you are given a lanyard and/or wristband that allows us to easily see that you in fact showed up with a legitimate ticket.
Day passes do NOT always sell out, but admission is left up to the Fire Marshall and not us. Weekend passes can and do sell out. Our VIP passes are sold in very limited numbers and always sell out (usually months) before the expo dates. Special event passes easily sell out since we keep the numbers on sale low to add value to the experience.
This suddenly became a thing in 2022. Sometimes people click the wrong ticket link. Sometimes schedules change. Regardless, this is something you can do yourself: Our ticketing platform does allow this. Just email [email protected] for instructions.
In general, the answer is “no”. We hate to be mean, but we try to make it very clear that all ticket sales are final. You are welcome to resell your tickets, give them to a friend, or even exchange them for a different day (see above), but our policy is pretty much standard for fan conventions. Our new ticketing platform offers “insurance” so you CAN get a refund if you are unable to attend for any number of reason.
Tickets are limited and may not be available for purchase at the door.
We recommend purchasing your tickets as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
No, wristbands are intended to be used by one person. Once they are attached they have to be cut or broken to remove and cannot be reused. Anyone caught sharing wristbands will be asked to leave and banned from future events.
Yes, you can change the name on the ticket in your TICKETSPICE dashboard OR IF YOU NEED FURTHER ASSISTANCE YOU CAN EMAIL [email protected].
KIDS 12 AND UNDER ARE FREE ALL WEEKEND. YOU DON’T NEED TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION… AS LONG AS THEY DON’T LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE A 401K, BALDING, OR OTHERWISE OBVIOUSLY NOT UNDER 12 THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS.
You can “swap” or “upgrade” your ticket for a different day in your TICKETSPICE dashboard (accessible from the original order confirmation email). However, you will not be able to upgrade or swap for any sold out tickets.
You will pick up your tickets in the Central Bank Center at WILL CALL (see our SCHEDULE page for location details) the day of the show. Please have your QR code downloaded and ready for our team to scan in order to claim your passes.
Will call has extended hours starting Wednesday the week of the convention. Yes, anyone wanting to come pick up tickets early may do so and the schedule will be posted. You are able to pick up multiple passes, when you come to the convention you would go straight thru re-entry to the con floor. We suggest you get tickets early because the check in lines will have wait times.
In 2024 our ticket scanning system experienced problems and there were internet connection issues. We have adjusted those systems, updated equipment and we will be doubling the number of ticket check ins at the show. We will also be extending the will call/box office hours for check ins. Additional details will be provided on the event schedule and numerous other places. As of right now we can confirm we will be adding Wednesday to days you can check in early and we will be extending the hours on Thursday and Friday.
We apologize to anyone who had to stand in line last year and we are working diligently to make it as quick as possible for 2025.
You can swap or upgrade your pass to another day by visiting your original order confirmation email. There is a link to manage your tickets in the email. Click that to exchange your pass. You may swap for tickets that are the same price or upgrade to any available passes at a higher price by paying the difference.
All ages are permitted. Children 12 and under will be admitted FREE with an adult ticket purchase. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Children will be ticketed at will call.
ATTENTION: As this is a horror movie convention, there may be horror movie content on the convention floor, in the movie screenings, in Q&A’s and elsewhere during the event. While not a regular occurrence, violence, gore, strong language, drug references, nudity, etc. may be present in screenings, etc. Parental guidance is advised.
All passes get you access to the expo floor and all of our seminars and celebrity panels and Q&A’s. VIP level passes also gain early access to the expo floor. Some off-site or special events may not be included with your ticket. For example: Only VIP level passes get access to our VIP Party. All passes will get you into our film festival screenings. Please watch individual event website postings for clarity.
All sales of tickets and other merchandise are final. Tickets and merchandise are non-refundable for any reason.
We don’t always get this posted prominently on the website, but since it hasn’t changed in the last fifteen years we thought we would be safe to include it here:
Yes! We do our best to maintain a family friendly atmosphere on the convention floor. We even devote Sunday to sponsoring activities to entertain the kids. That being said: We cannot guarantee that none of our vendors will have items that someone might find objectionable and some of the cosplay can get a bit risque. Treat us like you would a PG movie.
Sometimes specific seminars will have age limits left to the discretion of the presenter.
Yes, it has been our longstanding policy that kids twelve years of age and under get floor admission absolutely free – no pass required. This does not apply to any paid events outside of general admission.
The convention center is handicapped accessible and we make every effort to keep our aisles wide to assist in traffic flow. As far as celebrity lines, that is usually left up to the celebrity, but we suggest that you bring your particular limitations to the attention of one of our security or staph members so that any help can be rendered. We have no control over the accessibility of off-site events but will try to forward information regarding this as it is available.
Neither the convention center nor we have had mobility devices at our disposal for rent or loan in the past. However, starting in 2024 we have partnered with Mobility Plus to bring you scooters, powerchairs, and manual wheelchairs for rent. Please contact them in advance with your needs at (859)-523-0993.
The short answer…EVERYWHERE! The newly renovated Lexington Center has a catering company that will offer a variety of food and drink kiosks right there both on the convention floor with even more choices just a short ride down one level on the escalator. We have also arrange food trucks on the Vine Street side when we can.
In the event that “concession stand” food (the kiosks really do have many good options) is not up to your standards, we strongly encourage you to walk across the street to LexLive’s Game Day Sports Bar and check out their offerings. And if you want even more variety: it is the 21st century: Walk outside and Google “restaurants near me” on your phone. Many great choices are within a short walk.
But… and we cannot stress this enough… when you eat at ANY Lexington restaurant be sure to mention that you are in town for The Scarefest Horror and Paranormal Convention.
Absolutely! We bring in some the most talented and reputable tattoo artists in the region for The Scarefest. Their booths are carefully and constantly monitored and inspected for cleanliness and health code adherence.
ATMs and cash availability have always been a problem for us, especially since so many celebrities and even some vendors do not accept credit cards. The Center recently added ATMs which will be located around the floor and pre-function areas. The information booths should be able to guide you to them. We hope this helps.
Most do nowadays, but some don’t. That is totally up to the individual vendors. Center provided services such as concessions and parking no longer accept cash to add to the confusion.
It’s always a good idea to have extra cash on hand lest that special item eludes you.
Oddly no. The Central Bank Center has a NO CASH policy. While we thinks this is a wildly bad policy – it is what it is. The concessions, parking, and anything else that they control requires using a credit card.
That’s a good question and we are darned happy you asked! Lexington KY is not known for it’s availability of visible parking spaces. It’s not that they aren’t there – they just aren’t really marked all that well. In reality there are over 10,000 parking spaces within easy walking distance of the convention center. Eventually the reconstruction of the center will include a convenient parking garage next door. Until that is finished everyone’s first choice is the High Street lot in front of Rupp Arena and the convention center. But since that can get filled up during peak times here are some resources that should help.
Welcome to the big city. Yes, most of the downtown public parking has a charge. The convention center parking lot is run by an independent contractor and we have no say in what they charge.
While our staph is loaded with animal lovers and even some farmers, please understand that a convention hall loaded with thousands of visitors is not the best place for your pet. Most pets are not really into the convention scene anyway. Plus we often have a charity come in that brings a wolf with it and…well you get the picture.
YES. Please remember that bags may be searched at anytime by Security, Police, and/or Staff. Refusal to comply will result in ejection from the venue with no refund or credit. Our full policy on what is allowed and not allowed can be found here:
Our full safety policy is available for review by clicking HERE.
Our full safety policy is available for review by clicking HERE.
Photo Ops provides fans with the chance to take a photo with their favorite celebrity in a fast-paced environment designed to accommodate as many fans as possible. For more information about Photo Ops, you can visit the link provided on the website once Photo Op Sales Go Live.
We recommend arriving early.
We understand that many people have issues with crowds and certain environments and need accommodation. If you need assistance with an accommodation then contact [email protected] and we will assist.
As soon as we can get them ready. We usually try to get a good portion of our celebrities announced before we start selling photo ops. This is mostly to save labor. Also we understand that people have limited budgets and might have to make a choice between celebrity A or celebrity B. We think it is better if you know about B before you purchase A.
ALSO group and reunion photo ops (those with more than one celebrity) often change as guests are added. Every time we add a celebrity the photographer has to refund that group’s photo ops that have been purchased up until that point, so that everyone can pay the new higher price (more celebrities means more celebrities expect to be paid).
ONCE THEY ARE READY TO BE PURCHASED THE LINK WILL BE PROVIDED ON OUR WEBSITE AND ANNOUNCED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
PHOTO OPS WILL BE ADDED AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE EVENT.
We usually cannot post the photo op schedule until two to four weeks before the show. This is because the photo ops schedule has a lot of variables to take into account including flight times, celebrity panel schedules, and even the preferences of the celebrities themselves. Finally, it is VERY hard to put together until we are finished announcing celebrities, and we are famous for adding guests at the “eleventh hour”.
Each celebrity banner on the event page’s Guest Page is clickable. This will bring you to the Celeb’s landing page where pricing is available. Please note that pricing is subject to change at the event and will be listed at the Celeb’s table.
Scarefest does not always receive price information from celebrities. This is not up to us and so our most frequent question is one we can’t usually answer unless the celebrity’s team has provided it to us!
Most will run between $20 and $100 but we have found that many of our guests may not set their price until they get to the event. While we try to collect and post this information ahead of time, it is sometimes “wildly inaccurate” and you can guess who gets blamed.
HOWEVER…If you will search about a specific celebrity in our Facebook Group, many fans will have some guidance from experience, so you will know what to expect. These may be prices they have seen at other shows and we cannot say if these will be the prices at ScareFest, but generally it’s pretty close.
Most Celebs do! The information will be listed on their pricing page if they have communicated to ScareFest they do. This information will be available by going to the guest page and clicking on their banners. If it says PRO PHOTO OP ONLY then they are not allowing selfies at their table and you should not ask. If their banner does not say PRO PHOTO OP ONLY and you do not see a Selfie option available online, you are able to ask the Celeb at their booth. All Celebrity Experiences are at the discretion of the Celeb.
The following applies to walking by and snapping pictures or taking pictures of celebs without purchasing a selfie at their table or without their permission. All photos and videos of the celebrities require their permission and participation, so if you are getting an autograph and purchase a selfie or a star otherwise agrees to a picture that is at their discretion and is totally ok. Otherwise, even authorized media (those with a Media Pass and our own Staph photographers) must first obtain permission from Star’s Row Security before taking pictures and filming.
If you are caught photographing on Stars Row without permission, you could be asked to stop doing so and depending on the celebrity you could be asked to delete the image/video.
Use common sense, most folks don’t like their photos and video being taken without permission, be respectful of guests please.
Don’t count on it. While some may, it is still not common practice. You’d be surprised how many people will go home and file a “charge back” to beat a guest out of their money.
It varies. Celebrities are generally expected to be at their booth during the expo hours while they are in town (less breaks and meals of course). Most will make their way onto the floor during the VIP early admission period.
Sometimes flight scheduling requires that they arrive a little late on Friday or leave a little early on Sunday. We try to announce this information as it becomes available. Some celebrities, by contract, will only appear on the expo floor during set times. This information will be clearly posted on the website and announced as it becomes available.
If a celebrity, due to other obligations, is not scheduled to appear all weekend we will post this information as clearly as possible on our website. Watch our website and social media posts for updates as this information can change as the date approaches.
Also keep in mind that sometimes circumstances are out of our control. We can never absolutely guarantee appearance times.
Maybe not, but you really should. Stars attend conventions such as ours as “part of their job”. For some, conventions sales are a major source of their income. While there may be opportunities through the course of the weekend to converse with them, if you approach them at their booth they are “on the clock”. Good manners dictate that you never hold up a star’s line if you are not at their table to purchase something. Most of our celebrities over the years have been more than happy to spend generous amounts of time talking to their fans. But one should not abuse that generosity.
The parties and events are another story. Many of our celebrities will attend the VIP party and usually a few make an appearance or two at other events through the course of the weekend. Those that do are there to interact with their fans. But remember, the parties and events are not photo ops! Always ask if it’s OK to take a picture with them. Heck, if they like you they may offer!
We can’t tell you until the contract is signed. Period. As soon as a celebrity is officially booked, we announce them on the following Friday night via Scarefest Television and post about it on our social media. We do NOT announce celebrities on verbal commitments. We even have to be careful about letting staph members know who we are in negotiations with because it invariably gets into the public as “I know something you don’t know”.
Our annual game plan is to announce a few (usually between 2 and 6) celebrities leading up to the holiday season following the expo to spur Christmas sales. Then we take a step back and really look at what direction we want to take the lineup and start contacting agents the first of the year.
As contracts are finalized (usually a 30-60 day process) we start announcing our lineup for the coming year. Because we have to allow so much time for the celebrities to check their schedules for such things as other appearances, filming schedules, and even family events we usually start seeing the results in March and April and then on into early summer. Once we have a good idea who is not going to be able to appear from that initial round of contacts, we then reach out again on a smaller, more focused scale to fill in our lineup. This is why we are more often than not announcing celebrities right up to the week of the convention.
Unless our announcements and announcement banners say otherwise, all celebrities are expected to be on hand all three days. Schedules change of course. Sometimes a filming schedule might change and they have to cancel Friday or decide they need to fly out Sunday to meet other obligations after we book them. When a celebrity’s schedule changes we do our best via updated website banners and announcements via our social media accounts.
And of course sometimes due to flight delays they arrive late on Friday or decide they need to leave early Sunday to make it through airport security in time to catch a flight. Such schedule adjustments will be announced over the public address system at the expo.S
There’s probably nothing we can do about it. If a guest cancels early enough, we will try to replace them with someone of similar stature. This sounds easy until you remember that most celebrity contracts take a month or more to get finalized. If they cancel close to the expo date we have very few options.
We hate it as much as you do! How can we say that? Because we hate disappointing our fans… and we buy non-refundable plane tickets. In the end though, ask any seasoned convention goer and they will tell you never to attend any convention based only on the appearance of any single celebrity. All conventions experience cancellations and we have been blessed to have relatively few over the years. There is a lot of life going on out there in the real world.
Each celebrity banner on the event page’s Guest Page is clickable. This will bring you to the Celeb’s landing page where pricing is available. Please note that pricing is subject to change at the event and will be listed at the Celeb’s table.
Scarefest does not always receive price information from celebrities. This is not up to us.
Yes! You are able to bring in items for signing. Pricing will vary depending on the item. All item signings are at the discretion of the Celeb. See our Safety Policies FAQ for acceptable items and guidelines by clicking HERE.
Most Celebs do! The information will be listed on their pricing page. If you do not see a Selfie option available, you are able to ask the Celeb at their booth. All Celebrity Experiences are at the discretion of the Celeb.
VIP pass holders receive a certain amount of line skip passes. These line skips are able to be used on nearly all celebrities however there are exceptions. Celebrities that have special line systems or ones that are in especially high demand may not be eligible for line skip.
Any guests not accepting line skip passes will be communicated clearly on the guest page by clicking their announcement banner once we get closer to the event.
If you are unsure if a celebrity is accepting a line skip then just ask one of our staff managing the line before walking up to the celebrity table directly.
Buying a ticket to ScareFest does not guarantee that you will meet a particular guest. Tickets are for admission to the event only and do not include autographs, photo ops, or certain special events with guests. Panels are free for ticket holders unless it is clearly noted
as a ticketed event. While we hope everyone gets to meet the guests they want, at times demand for some guests may be particularly
high and it may not be possible for a guest to meet every person. VIP passholders will receive priority line placement as available. Professional Photo Ops purchased for high demand guests are guaranteed unless the guest is not able to attend. If anyone purchases a professional photo op with a guest that is unable to attend for whatever reason, those are automatically refundable, however admission
tickets are NOT REFUNDABLE.
In theory, it is technically possible to meet every celebrity in attendance at an event in a single day. However, achieving this feat would be extremely challenging.
For each ticket purchased you may have two adults and up to three children under 16 in the photo. If you would like to have more than two adults, additional ticket purchases will be required. I.E. If you would like 3-4 adults, 2 total photo op tickets must be purchased and used for that photo.
Seats for all panels and screenings are limited and buying a ticket to the convention does not guarantee seating. VIP ticket holders will have first access to seating.
Panels and screenings are usually not full and have plenty of empty seats. However, some may be very popular and fill up very quickly.
We reserve the right to clear the room prior to any screening or panel to make sure that attendees waiting in line are able to be seated. Please do not sit in on a panel prior to the one you really want to see to try and hold a seat(s). Plan your attendance accordingly.
For each ticket purchased you may have two adults and up to three children under 16 in the photo. If you would like to have more than two adults, additional ticket purchases will be required. I.E. If you would like 3-4 adults, 2 total photo op tickets must be purchased and used for that photo.
We don’t always get this posted prominently on the website, but since it hasn’t changed in the last fifteen years we thought we would be safe to include it here:
Yes! We do our best to maintain a family friendly atmosphere on the convention floor. We even devote Sunday to sponsoring activities to entertain the kids. That being said: We cannot guarantee that none of our vendors will have items that someone might find objectionable and some of the cosplay can get a bit risque. Treat us like you would a PG movie.
Sometimes specific seminars will have age limits left to the discretion of the presenter.
Yes, it has been our longstanding policy that kids twelve years of age and under get floor admission absolutely free – no pass required. This does not apply to any paid events outside of general admission.
The convention center is handicapped accessible and we make every effort to keep our aisles wide to assist in traffic flow. As far as celebrity lines, that is usually left up to the celebrity, but we suggest that you bring your particular limitations to the attention of one of our security or staph members so that any help can be rendered. We have no control over the accessibility of off-site events but will try to forward information regarding this as it is available.
Neither the convention center nor we have had mobility devices at our disposal for rent or loan in the past. However, starting in 2024 we have partnered with Mobility Plus to bring you scooters, powerchairs, and manual wheelchairs for rent. Please contact them in advance with your needs at (859)-523-0993.
The short answer…EVERYWHERE! The newly renovated Lexington Center has a catering company that will offer a variety of food and drink kiosks right there both on the convention floor with even more choices just a short ride down one level on the escalator. We have also arrange food trucks on the Vine Street side when we can.
In the event that “concession stand” food (the kiosks really do have many good options) is not up to your standards, we strongly encourage you to walk across the street to LexLive’s Game Day Sports Bar and check out their offerings. And if you want even more variety: it is the 21st century: Walk outside and Google “restaurants near me” on your phone. Many great choices are within a short walk.
But… and we cannot stress this enough… when you eat at ANY Lexington restaurant be sure to mention that you are in town for The Scarefest Horror and Paranormal Convention.
Maybe. Maybe not. Much of our Scarefest merchandise is offered as a one-time souvenir item. T-shirts in our current year’s design almost always sell-out down to a few odd sizes. We usually try to pre-sell as much as possible so that we can best gauge what sizes we need, but we always end up with only a couple of sizes left over.
Absolutely! We bring in some the most talented and reputable tattoo artists in the region for The Scarefest. Their booths are carefully and constantly monitored and inspected for cleanliness and health code adherence.
All passes get you access to the expo floor and all of our seminars and celebrity panels and Q&A’s. VIP level passes also gain early access to the expo floor. Some off-site or special events may not be included with your ticket. For example: Only VIP level passes get access to our VIP Party. All passes will get you into our film festival screenings. Please watch individual event website postings for clarity.
ATMs and cash availability have always been a problem for us, especially since so many celebrities and even some vendors do not accept credit cards. The Center recently added ATMs which will be located around the floor and pre-function areas. The information booths should be able to guide you to them. We hope this helps.
Most do nowadays, but some don’t. That is totally up to the individual vendors. Center provided services such as concessions and parking no longer accept cash to add to the confusion.
It’s always a good idea to have extra cash on hand lest that special item eludes you.
Oddly no. The Central Bank Center has a NO CASH policy. While we thinks this is a wildly bad policy – it is what it is. The concessions, parking, and anything else that they control requires using a credit card.
That’s a good question and we are darned happy you asked! Lexington KY is not known for it’s availability of visible parking spaces. It’s not that they aren’t there – they just aren’t really marked all that well. In reality there are over 10,000 parking spaces within easy walking distance of the convention center. Eventually the reconstruction of the center will include a convenient parking garage next door. Until that is finished everyone’s first choice is the High Street lot in front of Rupp Arena and the convention center. But since that can get filled up during peak times here are some resources that should help.
Welcome to the big city. Yes, most of the downtown public parking has a charge. The convention center parking lot is run by an independent contractor and we have no say in what they charge.
Our fans love to get various slashing and pointy objects autographed. If you have ANYTHING that constitutes or can be confused with a real weapon, please check it in with a member of our security and they will instruct you on what you can and can’t do. Usually they will instruct you to keep it wrapped, get it signed, and then return it to your car or hotel room immediately.
ABSOLUTELY NO FIREARMS ARE PERMITTED IN THE CONVENTION CENTER.
While our staph is loaded with animal lovers and even some farmers, please understand that a convention hall loaded with thousands of visitors is not the best place for your pet. Most pets are not really into the convention scene anyway. Plus we often have a charity come in that brings a wolf with it and…well you get the picture.
Any off-site event that is part of The Scarefest (excluding Launch events) and too far away for the average person to walk will have shuttle service.
Our shuttles usually start from the pickup/drop-off area in front of the convention center High Street entrance. If this changes one of our Staph will be standing there telling you where to go.
It depends on the specific event. Some of our parties and events serve alcohol and therefore may be limited to ages 21 and up depending on the venue. Whenever we know of an age limitation we will do our best to post the details on the event’s page ahead of time.
