Scares that Care Charity Weekend is back at it again with wholesome convention goodness that any hallogeek would love. Scares That Care, created by Joe Ripple in 2007, is an event aimed at “fighting real monsters” like disease and other medical issues through activities we would normally see as scary.
This weekend-long event in Williamsburg, Virginia has been held every July/August for the past six years, each year donating profits to someone with outstanding medical bills. Guests are met at the door with a gigantic pumpkin-headed creature welcoming us halloweirdos home. Inside the convention space, you find rows and rows of local and not-so-local merchants selling spooky wares like t-shirts, occult items, crafted items, books, art, and more. Anything related to horror, you would find among the sellers.
But Scares That Care isn’t just about buying things, you could learn too! Workshops for everything from book-writing to monster make-up are held throughout the convention. And if you’re not in the mood to actively learn, you could sit in and ask questions at a celebrity panel.
That’s right, I said celebrities. Each year, Scares That Care invites tons of celebrities from your favorite books, movies and television series to sign autographs, take pictures, do meet-and-greets and special cast reunions, or even just chat a little with fans. Since Scares That Care is a smaller event, the crowds are lower, meaning you will never wait long to say hi to Captain Spalding, Jason Voorhees, or Count Gore de Vol.
Scares That Care is family fun for everyone with movie nights, trick-or-treating, a 5K (with a t-shirt and medal for everyone!) and a game room for those not too interested in the spooky fun.
I first heard of Scares That Care Charity Weekend from a friend on HalloweenForum.com back in 2016. I had never been to a horror/Halloween convention before, or any convention for that matter, but I was excited to go to one so close to home. I couldn’t have asked for a better time. Just as the pumpkin-headed creature had said, I felt at home with other people who craved the frights that I did. I got to meet my favorite actors and have a few books signed by upcoming authors. I shopped for things you wouldn’t ever find in stores. I met people that I still talk to and meet there today. It’s really a wonderful feeling to partake in some of your favorite activities while helping others, and I think this sets a great precedent that horror people are good people.
It makes me so happy to see the Scares That Care family grow and prosper every year. So if you’re every in southeastern Virginia in late summer, check out this convention. Support a good cause and have fun doing it.
If you’d like to learn more about Scares That Care Charity Weekend, visit their charity site at https://scaresthatcare.org/ and the event page here: https://scaresthatcareweekend.com/.
