Midsummer Scream Halloween & Horror Convention

Who doesn't love a great convention?!?!? Midsummer Scream is the world's largest Halloween and Horror Convention, often described as Southern California's kick-off of the Halloween season. Join David Markland, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Midsummer Scream, and Jeff DePaoli, host of "That Halloween Podcast", as they talk all about these fantastic haunted happenings around the country!

Midsummer Scream features previews from local haunted attractions and Halloween events of their fall plans, celebrity guests from the worlds of spooky and horror film, TV, and video games, hundreds of vendors to shop from, and live entertainment across multiple stages, and the Hall of Shadows: a massive hall filled with haunted walk-thrus and displays set up just for the weekend, showcasing the talents of SoCal's best pro and home haunters.  Open to all ages, but parental guidance advised. The scream is in our name for a reason!

David Markland has a diverse work experience in event production and creative consulting. David is the Owner/Chief Creative Officer of Black Cat Orange, a creative agency. David is also the Executive Director of the Midsummer Scream Halloween Festival, an annual convention for Halloween and horror enthusiasts. Additionally, they are the Creative Director/Producer for Cemetery Lane, a Halloween attraction held at Heritage Square Los Angeles. Throughout their career, they have worked as a freelance event producer, editor for CreepyLA: The Los Angeles Halloween Blog, and programming manager for Politicon: the Unconventional Political Convention. David also co-founded and produced ScareLA: the Los Angeles Halloween Convention. Notably, they served as the Sports Planning Director for the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 and as a producer for Imagination Foundation's "Caine's Arcade Cardboard Challenge".

Jeff DePaoli grew up in Woburn, Massachusetts and graduated from Emerson College with a B.F.A. in the Performing Arts. He has been obsessed with Halloween from a very early age, and it truly is his favorite day of the year. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California where he provides his skills and talents for Halloween conventions and events including Midsummer Scream, Creep It Real OC,  and beyond. Jeff is an avid podcaster where he shares his love of Halloween with special guests on "That Halloween Podcast." He has been podcasting since 2014 when he launched his flagship show, "Dizney Coast to Coast." Jeff attends and reports on many Halloween and themed entertainment events throughout the year as a journalist for Attractions Magazine. As a voiceover artist, he has worked with Universal Pictures, Netflix, and is the host of the official Alexa Disney Trivia game on the Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition. He has always enjoyed hosting and was honored with the opportunity to host TEDx Culver City, as well as numerous panels for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and various conventions. One of Jeff's more unique credits is his role as the Stage Manager of 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in the Clint Eastwood film "Jersey Boys."

This program is part of a monthly series with Jeff.
Click here to register for one or all of his upcoming talks!

Presented in collaboration with the Ashland Public Library and other area libraries.