WURTSBORO - Kim M. Simons of Wurtsboro is one of the competitors on the upcoming season of Food Network’s Halloween Wars. Viewers may tune in on Sunday evenings at 9 PM (EDT) beginning September 19.

Simons, a native of Liberty is no stranger to competing on Food Network programs. She has appeared on seven shows—totaling more than twenty episodes—since 2013, and has been an integral part of two championships: Cake Wars: Star Wars in 2016 and Holiday Wars in 2019. Her last appearance occurred in January of this year when she competed on Cakealikes.

In spite of this extensive experience, Simons feels Halloween Wars is something special.

“Halloween is my favorite holiday,” she says. “I love the idea that you get to dress up and be whoever you want to be.”

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Simons had been offered the show.

“I was supposed to be on Halloween Wars in 2019,” she explains. “But my producer called me up and begged me to switch to Holiday Wars. I was like, ‘But I have to do Halloween Wars! It’s my dream!’ My producer said, ‘We can try to get you on down the line.’ My team won Holiday Wars so that worked out, but with Covid in 2020, it looked like Halloween Wars was off the table.”

Simons need not have worried. The show is back for its eleventh season, emceed by Zak Bagans, a paranormal investigator and host of Ghost Adventures on Travel Channel. Simons is on team “Ghost with the Most.” Her teammates are Lilian Halabi of Harker Heights TX and Jewel Burgess, who hails from Sacramento CA. This year’s competition was shot in Park City, Utah, under strict Covid protocols.

“It was pretty tough,” Simons admits. “We were tested for the virus every other day, and had to wear masks except when we were on camera. I had to try to stay out of the sun with the mask on because I tan so fast—a tan line across my nose would not be a good look. Plus, my chin breaks out when it’s covered.”

Additionally, the competitors were encouraged to stay in their hotel rooms and socially distance when they weren’t.

“That was hard, too,” Simons notes, “because Park City is beautiful. We were allowed out once in a while, and I’d like to go back someday to do some hiking.”

Still, Simons feels, the inconveniences were worth it.

“Oh, yeah, I’d go back tomorrow!” she laughs. “I get that call, and it’s like, pack the bags!”