Long Beach’s Frightfully Fun Halloween Spectacular, Dark Harbor, Returns to the Queen Mary This Fall

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PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach, in partnership with Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group and Evolution Hospitality, announced today the return of Dark Harbor. The thrilling and immersive Halloween experience is set to return this fall onboard the Queen Mary and its adjacent vicinity after a nearly five-year hiatus.

"Dark Harbor has become an iconic part of our city's Halloween celebrations, and we are excited to once again transform the Queen Mary into a haunted spectacle for scare-goers," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "Having brought in hundreds of thousands of visitors to Long Beach in years past, its return is another major step in the Queen Mary's recovery and return to a premier tourist attraction. I extend my appreciation to our partners and to our City Council for their support."

Dark Harbor: The Spirits Rise will transform the Queen Mary and its surrounding harbor into a massive Halloween festival featuring haunted mazes, live entertainment, themed bars and lounges, experiences on-board the ship, and festive eats and treats. This year's event will honor the legacy of Dark Harbor's past with the return of well-known icons like the Captain, Ringmaster, Scary Mary and other fan favorites, while also embracing many new surprises. Dark Harbor will run select nights from Friday, Sept. 20 through Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. Event updates and announcements will be revealed later this summer at darkharborhalloween.com.

"We are excited for the long-awaited return of Dark Harbor to the Queen Mary in Downtown Long Beach," said First District Councilwoman Mary Zendejas. "Its return will offer spooky Halloween thrills and other festive entertainment for folks to enjoy. We are excited to have this popular Halloween tradition return for our community."

During the April 16, 2024, meeting, the Long Beach City Council approved with a 7 to 0 vote to enter into an event license agreement with Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group for a period of five years. As part of the agreement, the event producers will coordinate with City and Evolution Hospitality staff and be responsible for the production, promotion and operation of the event, which is expected to create approximately 500 full and part-time jobs annually.

The agreement is a significant revenue-generating opportunity for the City and Queen Mary property. Through a profit-sharing component of the agreement, the City's first year share could exceed one million dollars and by the final year of the agreement could be $3 million, not including additional revenue expected to be generated.

Dark Harbor previously operated at the Queen Mary from 2010 to 2019, ceasing operations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During its tenure, it drew in an average of 100,000 attendees annually and contributed to the local economy and workforce.

"After a four-year hiatus, we're thrilled to resurrect Dark Harbor and summon the spirits back to The Queen Mary for this coming Halloween season," said Steve Caloca, Managing Director of the Queen Mary. "We're grateful to be working with Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, as well as the unwavering support of the City of Long Beach. This event holds a special place in the community's heart, and has long been a cornerstone of Long Beach's Halloween traditions."

For more information visit darkharborhalloween.com.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

About Evolution Hospitality
Evolution Hospitality, the lifestyle operating division of Aimbridge Hospitality, creates unique lifestyle experiences and drives performance throughout its curated collection of independent, boutique, lifestyle, and soft brand hotels, as well as restaurants, bars, and lounges throughout North America. With an entrepreneurial mindset and revenue and sales-based focus, Evolution's in-house digital marketing agency, extraordinary culinary expertise, and a performance-driven culture combined with Aimbridge Hospitality's world-class management platform contributes to best-in-class management practices and value enhancement to owners. Evolution Hospitality is based in San Clemente, Calif. For more information, visit www.evolutionhospitality.com and connect on social at LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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