(Photo credit: Shannon Bement)
Written by Mandie Stevens, Staff Writer, NaN’s Horror Corner
It was a celebration of terror-ific proportions at The Colorado Festival of Horror, which took place in Denver this past weekend, on September 15-17, 2023. People from around the world came together for the 3rd annual ‘COFOH’ and the experience was ghoulishly exhilarating and the very essence of fandom to its core.
A perfect way to slash into fall, The Colorado Festival of Horror honors the timeless genre and its varying sub-genres. Fans, actors, authors, filmmakers, artists, special-effects creators, writers, press media, cosplayers, YouTubers, and vendors of various horror-related themes all came together for COFOH, which is described as “a platform for the community to unite over the love of horror and everything that creeps in the night.” A champagne meet and greet for VIPs set the scene on Friday as visitors arrived, many staying at the hotel for the weekend.
The Colorado Festival of Horror is the brain-child of like-minded and self-proclaimed geeks Bret & Jeanni Smith, Daniel Crosier, and Dwight and Lisa Thompson, who wanted to create a safe place for fans to come together to enjoy the horror genre, where everyone would feel welcome. Their first convention in 2021 was a huge success.
Family-friendly fun for all, this thrilling, live interactive 3-day event was a destination for the weekend, and guests were not disappointed as they perused through the hallways, presentations, screenings, panels, exhibits, and other activities available on the schedule. This year, COFOH was bigger and bolder than the last, which required a move to a larger location at The Marriott Denver South at Park Meadows in Colorado.
The theme for COFOH this year was, fittingly, “Slasher Hotel,” and in due fashion, the hosting hotel was dressed to kill. Every creepy nook and dark cranny was bleeding with art of every medium that ranged from intricate, hand-painted banners to statues of realistic werewolves to monsters and skeletons to gaping-mouthed ghouls with eyes that followed you across the room. It was an aesthetic that made you feel like you were starring in your very own horror movie.
The grand rooms of the hotel were transformed into themed rooms. In the ‘Monster Main Events’ room, there were Q&A panels with icons in the business like Scream Queens Monique Dupree and Debbie Rochon; ‘Jigsaw’s Horror Trivia’; The ‘Dripping Horror Cosplay Karaoke’ hosted by Scream Queen and genre-icon Monique Dupree-Thomas and Daniel ‘Smurf’ Sharner; the ‘Inked in Blood’ Tattoo competition; a panel diving into forensic pathology that was not for the squeamish, among many other captivating events.
It was in this room, ‘Monster Main Events,’ that the much-anticipated ‘3rd Annual Gore Galore Costume Cosplay Contest’ took place on Saturday, with the winners receiving one-of-a-kind trophies made specifically for the convention. Some contestants admitted to entering with the sole purpose of taking home one of these limited-editon trophies because they are so individualistically perfect down to the last hand-crafted detail. Contestants went all out and dressed in costumes that were both hand-crafted and store-bought. There was Optimus Prime., Dr. Smilee, a Klown from Outer Space, Krampus; and even Carol-Anne from Poltergeist.
Other rooms included the ‘Nope! Room Panels,’ where Indigenous Folklore, book readings, comics presentations with ‘True Believers’ creators and even a midnight séance took place; ‘Don’t Go There! Workshops Room,’ which included makeup tutorials and horror-game demos; and the ‘Psycho Cinema Film Room,’ where screenings of Horror movies and Q&A’s took place all day long and into the night, each day. One of the most bustling and humming rooms was the ‘Overlook Room Photo Ops’ where fans and stars mingled while taking fun, memorable pictures together. Each person who took advantage of the photo opportunities left with a wide smile on their faces – betraying the good-natured fun laying just underneath the surface at these horror conventions.
In the back of the grand building, the setting was transformed into ‘Alfred Packer’s Grill’ (Unsure of who Alferd Packer is? He was a local Colorado legend dubbed a cannibal!) where guests could order specialty food and drinks, including wine made specifically for The Colorado Festival of Horror: Dragon Meadery of Colorado produced ‘De-Cab-Inated’ Cabernet Sauvignon. The ‘Gore-May Burger Bar’ boasted delicious burgers and COFOH REDRUM beer.
Outside in the valet area, hearses from the Denver Hearse Association and Zachary Byron Helm; ECTOs from The Colorado Ghostbusters; as well as the ‘Thunder! Zombie Hunting Van,’ from Sam Marcus, greeted visitors as they arrived.
COFOH 2023 was a massive success. It officially feels like spooky season. Next year’s COFOH has already been announced! It will be the theme of ‘Friday the 13th’ because it will HAPPEN on Friday the 13th! Mark your calendars for the 4th Annual Colorado Festival of Horror next September, 13-15th, 2024. I hope to see you there!
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