Writer, Haunt Hunters App
SCRANTON, Pa. – Creature Feature Weekend is creeping into the Electric City this weekend, inviting monsters, movie buffs, and horror fans of all ages to attend.
The convention debuts in downtown Scranton on Friday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center.
Creature Feature Weekend, which has operated in Gettysburg, Pa., since 2019, branched out to Scranton after event founders Craig and Sandy Yastrzemski realized that northeastern Pennsylvania lacked a horror convention.
The warm welcome they received from area residents upon visiting helped solidify the decision to expand to Scranton.
“It's just such a friendly town,” Sandy Yastrzemski said. “Everything felt right.”
The three-day event will include celebrities from horror movies and television, trick or treating for children, a costume contest, panels with celebrities, horror trivia, movies with commentary from actors, vendors, and karaoke at Scranton Art Haus.
“There’s always something to do,” Yastrzemski said. “If you're not into the movies, you can do horror trivia.”
Guests will be able to meet and take photos with a number of horror actors, including Bill Moseley, whose roles include Chop Top in “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” and Otis B. Driftwood in Rob Zombie's “House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects;” Lee Waddell, stuntman and original Ghostface in “Scream” and “Scream 2;” Clint Howard, whose many roles include Gregory Tudor in “Ice Cream Man;” and Quinn Lord, who played Sam in “Trick ‘r Treat.”
The full list of celebrities, ticket information, schedules, and vendors can be found at the Creature Feature Weekend website, Instagram page, or Facebook page.
Several celebrities will be in-costume for photo ops, including Moseley, Waddell, Howard, and Lord.
“You think Halloween's over?” Moseley posted on his Instagram page. “See you Saturday in Scranton, PA at @creature.feature.weekend for my in-costume, in-MAKEUP Choptop photo opp with [Edwin Neal].”
Neal played the hitchhiker in “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and was referred to as Nubbins Sawyer in “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2,” twin brother of Chop Top.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Creature Feature Weekend |
Yastrzemski said Creature Feature Weekend tries to make photo ops special experiences for fans, which is why several of the guests will be in-costume for pictures.
“That's something that Craig really asks (celebrities) about - ‘would you be willing?’” Yastrzemski said.
Many of the celebrities are willing to dress up and include props in the pictures. Howard's in-costume photo op, for example, will include the ice cream cone prop from the “Ice Cream Man” movie, she said.
The convention aims to blend old-school chills with a bit of modern pop culture so that families, regardless of age, can take an interest in some aspect of the event.
“We try to curtail every show so that it appeals to somebody in the family,” Yastrzemski said.
While some businesses will be traveling from out of the area to set up shop at the event, others won't have far to drive.
Haunt Coffee in Wilkes-Barre Township, Pa., will be giving presentations on Saturday and Sunday on Local Legends and Ghosts of Lackawanna County, Yastrzemski said.
A local toy store also will be among the vendors at the event.
“Monstarz does shows all across America,” Paul of Monstarz Toys in Scranton, said. “It's fantastic to finally have an event like Creature Feature in our backyard.”
Paul, who preferred that only his first name be used in the story, said Monstarz specializes in hard-to-find horror toys, such as action figures and collectibles from classic horror films including “Day of the Dead,” “Creepshow,” and “Humanoids from the Deep.”
“Also, we carry a tremendous selection of all the classics like Universal Monsters, Freddy, Jason, ‘Halloween,’ ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,’ ‘Scream,’ ‘Terrifier,’ and more,” he said.
In business for more than 30 years, horror fans can check out the selection at amoktime.com or visit the store at 729 Scranton Carbondale Highway, Scranton.
About 60 vendors were scheduled for Creature Feature Weekend as of Tuesday, according to the event’s website.
Full details about Creature Feature Weekend are online at https://creaturefeatureweekend.com/.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Creature Feature Weekend |
