As a publisher and author, I’m constantly on the hunt for the best con suited for my genre which is horror/dark fiction. In the past year, I’ve attended four as a vendor (those reviews to come). This past weekend, I attended Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas, for the first time. Here are my thoughts:

The Staff:
Most of the staff was amazing and friendly. A special shout out to Rachel, who-despite being there for hours-was good natured and fun. On Saturday, having heard how crazy the crowd gets on that day, I got to the convention at 8:45 (it started at 11 AM for non-VIP passes). With my band on my wrist, I stood in line to get into one of the general vendor rooms. It was already bustling with other conventioners (I made that word up, sue me) intent on getting in line early to see Clive Barker. Since this is my first year, I had lots of questions. Each of the staff smiled and chatted with me, exuding their genuine desire to be there.

The Venue:
I have to say, while the venue was beautiful and extremely well-organized, it was too small. If you have issues with social anxiety or claustrophobia, beware. I likened the experience to being in a giant, over-crowded elevator. It was hard to maneuver through tables, bodies, exhibits, etc. If you are buying multiple items, this means trying to navigate without knocking someone over … or vice-versa. Several times I felt overheated despite them having complimentary water available. I mean, who’s going to get out of a six hour line to grab a cup of water?

The Vendors:
What a cool selection of vendors!  I loved how they had everyone spread out, some next to celebrity guests, some off in a giant corner of their own. Everything from Godzilla, to George Romero under one roof. I got to get autographs from the Hellraiser cast, say “hello” to Tom Savini, then turn the corner and get a picture with Tommy Flanagan. The best part was getting to see some local authors I am friends with on Facebook but never met in real life until then! (Shout out to Timothy Long)

Overall, for a first timer to Texas Frightmare Weekend, I had a blast. We stayed in the other Hyatt (Hyatt Grand) and it was stunning. The staff was super polite and helpful, the hotel room was sparkling clean and state of the art. We felt like we walked onto the Starship Enterprise when we entered the room. Lights came on and the large, one piece blind rolled up. Each side of the bed had its own panel to control lights and temperature. The sheets were clean, the bathroom sparkled and they had “oops I forgot …” complimentary items like brushes, deodorant, phone chargers, and more. They didn’t even bat a judgmental eye when I walked out in my Unsaintly Queen, goth attire. As for a shuttle to terminal C (we were at terminal D), they told us it would run every 25 min but we never waited more than 10, to or from.

I would highly recommend this Horror Con to anyone who loves horror.

Price (Tickets): $
Price of Hotel: $$