Kennywood kicking off Halloween hiring spree this weekend

The business of scaring people in the weeks leading up to Halloween has become a big money venture. And now Kennywood Park, a longtime player in the Pittsburgh area’s Halloween scene, is gearing up for its Phantom Fall Fest starting Oct. 1.

Kennywood is looking to add more than 100 seasonal employees for Halloween, including actors to play various scary creatures in sinister haunts and scare zones, as well as food and beverage and catering positions.

After shelving Halloween events last year due to the pandemic, Kennywood, Idlewild and SoakZone are kicking off a hiring surge this weekend with available positions paying up to $17 an hour.

“Halloween and all things fall have become more and more popular over the years. For some people, that’s the time of year that they look forward to visiting the most,” said Kennywood spokesman Nick Paradise. “They’ve become very popular periods in the calendar and that’s why we’re looking to add a lot of people to serve the demand that we’re expecting.”

Kennywood, Idlewild and SoakZone will be holding job fairs on Sept. 15 with perks including free food.

“Phantom Fall Fest is an excellent opportunity for those wanting a flexible weekend work schedule,” said Joe Barron, Kennywood’s director of human resources. “Come join our scream team and help create the spooky Halloween atmosphere Kennywood is known for in the Pittsburgh region.”

In Ligonier, Idlewild and SoakZone are looking to hire people for more than 30 positions at the park’s “HallowBoo!” event, beginning Sept. 25. Jobs include trick-or-treating trail guides in Story Book Forest as well as ride operators and beverage servers.

Paradise said Kennywood is experiencing many of the same challenges that others in the service industry are having in finding employees from a smaller labor pool than the one that existed before the pandemic.

“It’s obviously a very competitive labor market. We’re not immune to that,” he said. “That’s why we’ve focused on creating great reasons to work here. This is a place that carries benefits that maybe don’t show up in the bank account (such as) bonds and connections with colleagues and some of the special after hour events that we offer to team members.”

At Kennywood, Phantom Fall Fest happens Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, Oct. 1 -31, and “HallowBoo!” at Idlewild and SoakZone takes place on Saturdays and Sunday from Sept. 25 to October 31.

Those interested can apply online at the park of their choice: Kennywood or Idlewild and SoakZone.