Last Chance to Enter the Press-Telegram Scary Stories Contest

Pictured above is an untitled artwork by Keenan Lambert from Los Cerritos Elementary in last year's Scary Stories Contest. 

The Long Beach Press-Telegram’s Scary Stories Contest, an annual Halloween tradition, has once again returned!

P.T. is waiting for Long Beach area kids to send its spookiest and most dreadful drawings. “We want you to scare us. We want you to make us shiver and shudder. We want you to make us jump — and turn on all the lights in our homes.”

As usual, the consists of three age divisions for drawings and stories: elementary school (K-5), middle school (6-8), and high school. Students can submit their story, a drawing, or both. Entries will be judged separately.

The Press-Telegram states that the winning entries will appear in the Sunday, Oct. 27, edition of the Press-Telegram and online. Top finishers' stories and artwork in each age group will additionally receive a $20 gift card to In-N-Out.

The rules for the contest:

• The deadline is 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7.
• For story submissions, please fill out the online form at bit.ly/2024ScaryStories. No mail or in-person submissions will be accepted.
• All artwork entries must be emailed, with the subject line “Scary Stories,” to ptnews@presstelegram.com. Drawings should be submitted in JPEG format and be no larger than 5 megabytes in size. Entries must include the student’s name, age, and school.
• Stories must be no longer than 650 words.
• Artwork must be original (no tracings).
• Do not use artificial intelligence programs to craft stories or create images. Entries must be the student’s own work.
• Entries will be judged based on imagination, creativity, theme, and quality.

Visit presstelegram.com for more information. Questions? Contact City Editor Chris Haire at chaire@scng.com.