Shaquille O’Neal has a new gig that’s tied to Halloween. He’s the face and partial namesake of Shaqtoberfest, a spooky-season event at the Queen Mary attraction in Long Beach, California, this fall.
The interactive event will include six Halloween-themed areas featuring Halloween trails, games, live entertainment plus food and vendors.
The NBA superstar (and former Central Floridian) will narrate the experience.
“Halloween can’t come soon enough,” O’Neal said in a news release. “Thirteenth Floor Entertainment and I have some tricks up our sleeves to make this the most spook-tacular Halloween event ever.”
The basketball star, a former Orlando Magic player, is partnered with Thirteenth Floor, an event company with several Halloween experiences.
“Shaqtoberfest will be unlike any other Halloween attraction that we have ever produced, and we couldn’t be more excited to be launching it at one of the area’s most well-known locations and show our fans what we’ve created for them,” said Chris Strafford, Thirteenth Floor’s CEO.
Specifics about the event were not announced, including dates or ticket prices. It will include family-friendly trick-or-treat offerings where participants are encouraged to dress in their costumes.
“Come nighttime, the energetic lights and music turn on as the witching hour begins, unleashing O’Neal’s ghoulish minions into the haunted trails and midways as the spirits of Shaqtoberfest are brought to life,” the release said.
The Shaqtoberfest.com website says more details are “coming soon.”
The Dark Harbor event previously was held at the Queen Mary during Halloween season, but it was canceled because of the pandemic in 2020 and did not return in 2021. The site has a spooky history, including once being named one of the top “most haunted places on Earth,” by Time magazine.
The 7-foot-1 O’Neal played 19 seasons in the NBA, starting with a four-year stint with the Orlando Magic, during which he was named rookie of the year and led the team to its first NBA Finals appearance. He went on to win four titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. He maintained a home in Central Florida for years, but his house near Windermere was sold for $11 million in 2021. Along with entrepreneurial endeavors, O’Neal is known for his work as a television basketball analyst.
Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com
