The Deer District next month will take on a new identity as the city’s “Halloween destination,” the Milwaukee Bucks announced today.
‘Fear District’ will feature haunted houses, horror movie screenings, Halloween-themed activities and food and beverage offerings Thursday through Sunday from Sept. 26 to Nov. 2.
The public plaza adjoining the Fiserv Forum will house three 3,600-square-foot haunted houses known as Vampire Village, Dead Man’s Wharf and Scare Acres, each including themed games and free photo stations.
The Bucks-operated Beer Garden will show free horror movies on Thursdays starting at 7 p.m. The movie schedule includes  “Halloween” on Oct. 3, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” on Oct. 10, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” on Oct. 17, “Scream” on Oct. 24, and “Friday the 13th” on Oct. 31.
Programming at Fear District will be family friendly on weekends before 6 p.m. with face-painting and Halloween-themed games, but will turn “frighteningly darker” at night with themed bars, walk-through scare attractions and entertainment.
Door County-based Door Peninsula Winery will serve its specialty Halloween wines at the Beer Garden. Beverages will also be served at four pop-up bars, including the Crow’s Nest, all sponsored by Jack Daniel’s.
A Bucks Pro Shop trailer on the plaza will sell exclusive seasonal merchandise.Â
Fear District will operate on Thursdays from 6 to 10 p.m., Fridays from 6 to 11 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sundays from 2 to 8 p.m.
“We are thrilled to bring the unique Halloween experience of Fear District to Milwaukee to deliver a one-of-a-kind Halloween season tradition,” said Michael Belot, senior vice president of Bucks Ventures and Development. “Fear District will entertain everybody, making Deer District a must-do destination for Halloween.”
Entry to Fear District is free and open to the public, but admission to the haunted houses is $20 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under and for people 65 and over. Tickets will go on pre-sale from Sept. 6 through Sept. 9, and can be purchased at FearDistrictMKE.com. Games and food and beverages will be sold separately.
The Bucks have teamed up with Louisville, Kentucky-based retail entertainment company Oak Island Creative to cast scare actors for Fear District. Open call interviews for local performers will be held later this week and this weekend at the team’s offices. Those interested may apply in advance at www.oakislandcreative.com/jobs or www.tinyurl.com/MKEhaunt.
Deer District has hosted a number of major events this summer, including Bloody Mary Fest, Lobster Fest, Chords & Curds Festival and the Morning Glory Art Fair. The popular Christkindlmarket will return Nov. 15 to Dec. 24 for a second year.
Fiserv Forum recently celebrated its first anniversary. During year one, the $524 million arena held more than 110 non-Bucks or Marquette events, including more than 50 corporate events and 34 concerts. By comparison, the Bradley Center hosted 21 concerts during fiscal 2008, its busiest for concerts.
Read BizTimes’ Sept. 2 cover story to learn more about Fiserv Forum’s first year and the impact it’s made so far on the downtown area.
