Plot Synopsis

Five to eight teams -- each made up of an expert pumpkin carver, cake decorator, and sugar artist -- compete against each other in elimination challenges as they create Halloween-themed displays on the road to winning the $50,000 grand prize. Each team must create mind-blowing displays, such as a creepy witch, a scary haunted house, a twisted version of a fairy tale, an epic battle between Zombies and Vampires, or the Underworld. At the end of each 60-minute episode, one team is eliminated until only the winner remains at the end of the season. The three-person judging panel is comprised of renowned cake decorator Shinmin Li, an artist -- Hollywood conceptual artist Miles Teves in Season 1 and award winning make-up artist and horror actor/director Tom Savini in Season 2 -- and a different celebrity guest judge, including: Rob Zombie, Jaime King, Scout Taylor-Compton, and R.L. Stine in Season 1; Shawnee Smith, Rutina Wesley, Chaske Spencer, and Sara Canning in Season 2.

HALLOWEEN WARS returned for its third season on Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network with a new judge, Emmy-nominated makeup artist Brian Kinney, joining judge Shinmin Li and host Justin Willman. Season 3 featured guest judges -- Danielle Harris, star of HALLOWEEN; Tony Todd, star of CANDYMAN; Charlaine Harris, author of the "Sookie Stackhouse" novels; and horror actor Derek Mears -- who evaluated Halloween-themed displays that captured a Zombie Prom, a twisted version of a fairytale, a swamp-creature attack, and nightmares.

The fourth season of HALLOWEEN WARS premiered on Sunday, October 5, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, with host Justin Willman and a judging panel made up of cake decorator Shinmin Li, make-up artist Brian Kinney, and a rotating panel of celebrity guest judges, including Naomi Grossman, Francia Raisa, Adi Shankar, and Lew Temple. In the season premiere, five teams made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake decorator, and a sugar artist go to battle to create mind-blowing Halloween-themed displays, in hopes of winning the coveted title of HALLOWEEN WARS champion and a $50,000 grand prize. For the teams' first competition, they must capture all the freights of a terrifying haunted farm. In subsequent episodes, teams must create mind-blowing Halloween-themed displays that capture: a dire warning. whatever you do, don't go into the forest; an epic battle between mummies and werewolves; and the twisted, demonic world of a haunted carnival.

Season 5 of HALLOWEEN WARS premiered on Sunday, October 4, 2015 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, with new host Rossi Morreale and returning judges Shinmin Li and Brian Kinney, who are joined by a rotating panel of celebrity guest judges, including Robin Atkin Downes, Benjamin Papac, Bex Taylor-Klaus, and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. In each episode of Season 5, the remaining teams face off in the Small Scare, where they must create a Halloween-themed design in just 45 minutes, with the winning team getting an advantage in the big battle: the Spine Chiller.

The sixth season of HALLOWEEN WARS premiered on Sunday, October 2, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network. The sixth season features a new host, Jonathan Bennett, and a new judge, horror writer/director Don Mancini, who are joined by returning judge, renowned cake decorator Shinmin Li. In the new season, six teams composed of a pumpkin carving expert, cake artist and sugar artist battle it out as they create Halloween-themed edible displays. First, they face off in the Small Scare, where they must create a Halloween-themed design in just 45 minutes. Then, one winning team gets an advantage in the big battle: the Spine Chiller. One team is eliminated after each episode by Li, Mancini and a guest jduge, including Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; Sid Haig; Greg Plotkin; GRIMM'S Bitsie Tulloch; and SCREAM's Carlson Young.

Season 7 of HALLOWEEN WARS premiered on Sunday, October 1, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, immediately following "Road to Halloween Wars," a new, one-hour special that debuts at 8pm. In the special (8pm), host Jonathan Bennett takes viewers behind the scenes of the journey leading up to the pumpkin carvers, cake and sugar artists that embark on the latest Halloween Wars competition. Then, in the new season Jonathan hallenges six teams to create amazing and frighteningly fun Halloween-themed edible displays. Over five episodes the teams must battle it out, as their creations are judged by renowned cake decorator Shinmin Li and horror film director and makeup effects master Todd Tucker, along with a rotating panel of celebrity guest judges, including Fiona Dourif, Bryan Fuller, Juliet Landau, Robert Patrick, and Shane West . One team is eliminated each episode, with the last team standing walking away with the $50,000 grand prize.

The eighth season of HALLOWEEN WARS premiered on Sunday, September 30, 2018 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, immediately preceded (8pm) and followed (10pm) by new one-hour specials. Jonathan Bennett returns to host as six teams each made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist, and a sugar master battle it out over five episodes to create Halloween-themed edible displays that are as scary as they are delicious. Each teams' creations are judged by award-winning cake decorator Shinmin Li, horror film special effects master Todd Tucker, and a rotating panel of celebrity guest judges -- including movie director Mick Garris, Gaten Matarazzo, Sean Gunn, and more -- to determine which team takes home the grand prize of $50,000!

HALLOWEEN WARS returned for its ninth season on Sunday, September 29, 2019 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, immediately following a new one-hour special (8pm). Host Jonathan Bennett oversees all the thrills and chills as six teams each made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar master battle it out over five episodes to create frighteningly fun Halloween-themed edible displays that are as scary as they are delicious. Their creations are judged by award-winning cake decorator Shinmin Li, horror film special effects master Todd Tucker, and a rotating panel of celebrity guest judges, including Colman Domingo, Caleb McLaughlin, Jackson Rathbone, Harley Quinn Smith, and Elvira: Mistress of the Dark! The last team standing takes home a grand prize of $50,000. In the season opener, "Trapped in a Nightmare," six teams made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar master create mind-blowing and yummy Halloween-themed displays that depict the horror of being trapped in a nightmare and unable to wake up. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, serves as guest judge.

Season 10 of HALLOWEEN WARS premiered on Sunday, September 13, 2020 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network. Host Jonathan Bennett returns to challenge six teams made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist, and a master sugar artist, as they create frighteningly fun and intricate edible displays over five episodes that are spooky as they are tasty. Their creations are judged by award-winning cake decorator Shinmin Li, horror film special effects master Todd Tucker, and a rotating panel of celebrity guest judges, including Guillermo Diaz, Jocelin Donahue, Marisol Nichols, Katie Sarife, and Jeremy Ray Taylor. The last team standing takes home $50,000. The six teams of Season 10 include: Team Mummies Rejects (pumpkin carver Daniel Miller, cake creator Hemu Basu, and sugar pro Steve Weiss); Team Killer Cakerz (pumpkin carver Jim Bille, sugar pro Vanessa Greeley); Team Crave Diggers (pumpkin pro Eric Jones, sugar artist Joel Gonzalez and cake artist Jeff Taylor); Team Ghouly Goblins (sugar pro Sharon Hauht, master pumpkin sculptor Steve Baity, and cake artist Sam Lucero), Team Candy Coroners (cake artist Amy McBride, pumpkin carver Chad Gainey, and sugar extraordinaire Janet Barron); and Team Ghoulicious (sugar expert Caesar Barachina, pumpkin carver Deane Arnold, and cake maker Heather Sherman).

HALLOWEEN WARS returned for its eleventh season on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network, immediately following a new one-hour special (8pm). Paranormal investigator Zak Bagans has spent the last 15 years experiencing the scariest supernatural encounters ever recorded, and for the first time he shares those experiences with the eight HALLOWEEN WARS teams of expert cake and sugar artists in the new season. Over the course of the season, Zak takes inspiration from his collection of dangerous and mysterious artifacts from his Haunted Museum in Las Vegas to challenge the teams to create intricate cakes that are as frightening as they are tasty. One team will be eliminated in each episode by a panel of judges featuring award-winning cake decorator Shinmin Li, and chefs and cookbook authors Aarti Sequeira and Eddie Jackson, and the last team standing will earn $25,000.

Food Network premiered the twelfth season of HALLOWEEN WARS on Sunday, September 18, 2022 from 9-11pm ET/PT, immediately following a new one-hour special (8pm). Paranormal investigator Zak Bagans is back to inspire another terrifyingly epic season of HALLOWEEN WARS! Nine teams of cake, sugar and pumpkin artists unite to prove their skills are scary good ... and the results are frightening. This time, Bagans introduces the teams to some of the most haunted places in the world to inspire frighteningly fun and edible Halloween creations that scare even host Eddie Jackson and judges Shinmin Li and Aarti Sequeira. At stake is the title of Halloween Wars Champion and a trip to one of the most beautiful and haunted cities in the world - Paris, France. In the pre-season special, "Road to Halloween Wars 2022" (8pm), HALLOWEEN WARS is back for season 12, and the search is on for brave and supremely talented cake, sugar and pumpkin artists who can handle challenges inspired by paranormal investigator Zak Bagans' haunted travels. Competitors from across America show off their skills and try to prove that they have what it takes to claim the $25,000 grand prize. Then, in the season opener, "That Voodoo That You Do" (9pm), three teams made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar master compete in the first of three qualifying rounds. Zak Bagans introduces them to the famously haunted city of New Orleans and asks them to cast a sweet spell with the voodoo queen, Marie Laveau. Host Eddie Jackson and fellow judges Shinmin Li and Aarti Sequeira decide which team gets sent home. Opening night ends with "Monsters of London" (10pm). In the second qualifying round, Zak Bagans shares the haunted Hellfire Caves in London -- and the monsters that haunt them. The three teams create amazing and tasty Halloween-themed displays, and host Eddie Jackson along with judges Shinmin Li and Aarti Sequeira send two more teams to the next round.

Season 13 of HALLOWEEN WARS premiered on Sunday, September 17, 2023 on Food Network, with a one-hour special, "Road to Halloween Wars 2023," at 8pm ET/PT and back-to-back new episodes from 9-11pm ET/PT. Host Jonathan Bennett oversees the competition alongside judges Aarti Sequeira and Shinmin Li. In the special (8pm), the tsearch is on for 27 talented pumpkin carvers, cake decorators and sugar artists who have what it takes to compete in the biggest and most terrifying Halloween competition around. As the HALLOWEEN WARS crew travels from coast to coast, these artists hone their craft in hopes of walking away with the $25,000 grand prize. Then, in the season opener, "Terrifying Nursery Rhymes" (9pm), i the first of three qualifying rounds, host Jonathan Bennett challenges teams of pumpkin carvers, cake decorators and sugar artists to create spooky displays based on the terrifying inspirations behind beloved fairy tales. Judges Shinmin Li and Aarti Sequeria decide which two teams advance to the next round and which team's fairy tale comes to an end. Opening night closes with "Good vs. Evil" (10pm), featuring the second qualifying round, during which host Jonathan Bennett asks three new teams to conjure up displays inspired by the classic film, The Exorcist. Then, the teams showcase the ultimate battle between good vs. evil in hopes that judges Shinmin Li and Aarti Sequeria choose the right side.

HALLOWEEN WARS returned for its 14th season on Sunday, September 22, 2024 from 9-11pm ET/PT on Food Network, immediately following a new one-hour special. Jonathan Bennett returns to host the new season of HALLOWEEN WARS where eight teams of masterful pumpkin carvers, cake bakers and sugar artists compete against each other to create mind-blowing monster themed displays. Captained by former champions, each team must capture the essence of iconic and classic Halloween monsters with mouth-watering treats made to impress returning judges Shinmin Li and Aarti Sequeira. In the end, one team will be left standing and walk away with the Halloween Wars championship. Before HALLOWEEN WARS kicks off, viewers will see how the competitors were selected in a "Road to Halloween Wars" special on Sunday, September 22 at 8pm ET/PT. In the two-hour season opener, "Classic Halloween Horrors," host Jonathan Bennett welcomes four teams to the first of two qualifying rounds, where each team of talented cake, sugar and pumpkin artists must create a scene depicting a monster from a specific historical period. Judges Shinmin Li and Aarti Sequeira decide which three teams move onto the main round of competition and which team is history.
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On Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 9pm ET/PT, Food Network premiered "Haunted Hotel on Halloween Night," the Season 14 finale of HALLOWEEN WARS. For their final challenge, the last two teams standing create their largest displays yet: the spookiest hotels on Earth! It's up to Jonathan Bennett, Shinmin Li and Aarti Sequeira to decide who will be checking out with the Halloween Wars championship title and the $25,000 grand prize.