The largest high school world-qualifying VEX Robotics event in the country is coming to Owensboro this fall, marking the first time the signature competition — known as HAUNTED — will be held in Kentucky.
Set for October 23-26 at the Owensboro Convention Center, HAUNTED will bring more than 160 high school and college-level teams for a weekend of high-energy STEM competition. Organizers expect more than 1,200 students and their families to attend.
“This year, we’re turning up the excitement with two 80-team divisions, offering double the competition, double the energy, and double the HAUNTED fun,” said Chris Allen of Prime Directive Robotics, which organizes the event.
Teams are traveling in from across the U.S. and beyond, including Canada, California, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Washington, Indiana, New York, Alabama, North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, and more.
Allen said the move to Owensboro was in part due to its central location and accessibility from several major airports.
“Remember when most teams were within a single day’s drive of Worlds? Yeah, we liked that too, and that’s part of why we chose to bring HAUNTED to Owensboro,” Allen said.
The competition features 2-vs-2 matches where teams design, build, program, and operate their own robots to complete tasks and earn points. It’s the largest high school world-qualifying signature event of its kind and a major step toward the VEX Robotics World Championship.
“Being able to host the largest high school signature robotics event of its kind right here in Owensboro is a game-changer,” said Teresa Jones, Destination Sales Executive with Visit Owensboro. “It’s a clear sign that our city is ready for large-scale, innovative experiences — and it sets the stage for even more national events to choose Owensboro as their home.”
