At this point some of you are probably asking if JJ has completely lost his marbles, by remotely considering Halloween in late July. Believe it or not, I start planning my Halloween activities fairly early on, because without a doubt, it’s one of my favorite holidays. See, I’m a huge fan of haunted houses, and spooky places. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a real haunted site, where echoes of the past overlay themselves in uneasy terms with today’s realities; or whether it a fanciful creation of imagination, plaster, plywood and grease-paint. I love them.
In SoCal due the mild climate and the (usually) dry conditions, there a unique form of haunted attraction that thrives here – The Lawn Haunt. Yes, I know that these exist elsewhere, but they tend to be limited to a couple Styrofoam headstones, a lighted something or store bought animated ghoul. Down here, some people have elevated these displays to an art form. In fact one of the most legendary lawn haunts is resident in Studio City.
The Hallowed Haunting Grounds is a family run, free, walk-through lawn haunt which is nothing less than spectacular. It has been on local and national TV because of the very clever and very gothic effects the hosts and their friends have built into the display over the last 32 years. Yes, I said that right... This haunt has been developed and shown yearly over a span of 32 years. Take a look at their website and I think you’ll be as impressed as I am. It’s an order of magnitude better in person. http://www.hauntinggrounds.org/hhg.htm (mostly night shots; however, under Hosts - Hosts Emeritus and Generous Contributors “Tony” are a set of daytime shots.
For undisclosed reasons, the family will be making this year’s show the very last. If you are going to be or have the option to be in the Los Angeles area around Halloween this year, I have to strongly encourage you to see this macabre marvel and gothic masterpiece while you can in person.
