Food Network, the premier Halloween destination, is ready for the holiday with a full slate of programming beginning in September, including three fan-favorite series, two specials, and themed episodes of the network’s popular daytime series. Last year, with more than 28 million viewers watching its Halloween lineup, Food Network was a top 5 non-news/sports cable network among adults during September and October.
Returning primetime titles this year include Halloween Baking Championship, which in 2023 finished as Food Network’s third highest-rated series of the year among adults; Halloween Wars and Outrageous Pumpkins, which both saw year-over-year ratings growth among adults and women versus their prior seasons; and viewers can look forward to specials Kids Baking Championship: Scary Good and Road to Halloween Wars, along with Halloween-inspired episodes of The Kitchen and The Pioneer Woman.
“Food Network’s Halloween programming is iconic because of its fantastical themes and extraordinary creations,’ said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food. “Launching Halloween in September allows us to build fan excitement early and carry that momentum through October to the end of the year.”
This year’s Halloween schedule begins Monday, September 16th at 9 pm ET/PT when the Halloween Baking Championship takes on steampunk vibes. The series returns with more creativity and competition as 10 talented bakers from across the country create awe-inspiring desserts inspired by the haunted science lab known as ‘Henson Laboratories.’ Each week, host John Henson chairs the chaos as the bakers battle it out in two heats, and for the first time, a chance at immunity is on the line. Judges Stephanie Boswell, Carla Hall and Zac Young decide who will earn the title of Halloween Baking Champion.
On Sunday, September 22nd at 9 pm ET/PT, 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 22nd at 8 pm ET/PT.
Outrageous Pumpkins is back on Sunday, September 29th at 10 pm ET/PT, with host Damaris Phillips and an all-star cast of 14 of the country’s best carvers matched up in teams. These elite duos will be challenged to create over-the-top pumpkin creations, from gravity-defying structures to mechanical monsters with unbelievable special effects. The stakes have never been higher as the teams compete to take home the first-ever title of Outrageous Pumpkins All-Stars Champions.
Kids Baking Championship: Scary Good special premieres on Monday, October 7th at 8 pm ET/PT. Four fan-favorite kid bakers return to celebrate the two extremes of Halloween — scary and sweet. Hosts Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown challenge the bakers to make pull-apart Halloween cupcakes with one of the hottest peppers on the planet before a shocking twist puts the baking tools and equipment on the line.
For more entertainment and inspiration, viewers can also look forward to special themed episodes of The Kitchen and The Pioneer Woman in Food Network’s weekend daytime lineup.
Fans can check out FoodNetwork.com for the ultimate Halloween destination to watch exclusive clips, browse photo galleries and meet the judges and teams from #HalloweenWars, #HalloweenBakingChampionship, #KidsBakingChampionship and #OutrageousPumpkins, and find entertaining Halloween tips and expert advice from their favorite stars.