The 2025 Neighborhood Trick-Or-Treat Flyer

The annual neighborhood trick-or-treat announcement flyers have finally been printed and are ready to be distributed to 125 houses throughout my development. In recent years, I have become the unofficial official flyer creator and distributor, which I do without complaint. Designed and printed by me (easy now that I only have to change the date from last year!), and distributed by my son and a few of his neighborhood friends (work smarter, not harder!).

And while I'm still disappointed with the meager two-hour window for trick-or-treating on a date before Halloween proper, I'm happy to see the annual orange-and-black flyers go out to all the neighbors, signaling the countdown to the big night. 

We are getting closer! Are you ready?

  

The 2024 Neighborhood Trick-Or-Treat Flyer

The annual neighborhood trick-or-treat announcement flyers have finally been printed and are ready to be distributed to 125 houses throughout my development. In recent years, I have become the unofficial official flyer creator and distributor, which I do without complaint. Designed and printed by me, and distributed by my son and a few of his neighborhood friends (work smarter, not harder!).

And while I'm disappointed with the meager two-hour window for trick-or-treating, I'm happy to see the annual orange-and-black flyers go out to all the neighbors, signaling the countdown to the big night. 

We are getting closer! Are you ready?

  

The Neighborhood Trick-Or-Treat Flyer

Well, after 4 straight days of rain, I was finally able to get the annual neighborhood trick-or-treat announcement flyers distributed to every house in my development (I think we counted 125 houses in total?). In recent years, I have become the unofficial official flyer creator and distributor, which I do without complaint. Designed and printed by me, and distributed by me, my son, and a few of his neighborhood friends (work smarter, not harder!).

And while I'm disappointed with the meager two-hour window for trick-or-treating, I'm happy to see the annual orange-and-black flyers go out to all the neighbors, signaling the countdown to the big night.

One more thing off the list, now onto the other fifty...

  

The Neighborhood Trick-Or-Treat Flyer

 

Another item checked off of this year's still-to-do list. The 2022 neighborhood flyer has been designed, printed, and distributed!

I made things easy and just reused the art I created last year, simply updating the date. I made a quick trip to the local Staples Copy Center, returning with 125 flyers on a wonderfully bright orange paper stock.

But with so much left to do for this year's fun, I decided to delegate the rest of this project's responsibilities. I ended up "hiring" my ten-year-old son and two of his neighborhood friends to go out and drop a flyer in every mailbox in the neighborhood. With the prospect of making a few bucks they eagerly set out, making quick work of their task.

So it's now set. One more week until the big night. A lot of things left to do, so it's time for me to get at it. But still so many posts to share during this final week of October, so let's keep this party going! The activity at the Cemetery is going to be fast and furious. I hope you're ready...

  

Throwback Thursday: Halloween, 1981

I recently rediscovered some old Halloween photos and I thought it would be the perfect time for a re-share! The Halloween season was always a big deal growing up, and Trick-or-Treat was the culmination. The tradition was held in the highest regard, and much craft and care was devoted to our annual costumes...

Me: A tall, slender Prince of Darkness, just back from a moonlit feeding. Perfectly sculpted Transylvanian eyebrows complete with my plastic pumpkin pail and chic black garbage bag cape.

My brother, Scrapes: The pint-sized big-top performer, complete with recycled ensemble (I wore the same hand-sewn costume when I was younger), with rosy red cheeks and Bozo hair, and snazzy sequined derby hat. Demanding a treat in his pumpkin.

THIS. This is Halloween. Spooky, goofy, FUN. Enjoy it!

  

Neighborhood Trick-Or-Treat Flyer

Only seven more days until the big night! Here is the neighborhood Trick-or-Treat flyer that I created. And then had printed. And then passed out to every house in my development. All 115 houses. By myself.

A haunter's work is never done!

 

May The Fourth Be With You.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...


Halloween, 1979
Ben Cooper Darth Vader. More machine than man now. I obviously had no problem going to the dark side...

Halloween, 1980
Ben Cooper C-3PO. Protocol Droid. Human-Cyborg Relations. I also learned to say "Trick or Treat" in Bocce...

The Day After...

It feels weird sitting here on October 28th, penning a quick recap of the previous night's trick-or-treat display.

For the first time in over 16 years, we aren't celebrating on Halloween night (as I firmly believe we should be), due to our new neighborhood's schedule: Sunday night, from 5-7 pm. It really doesn't make much sense to me, but I'm not here to complain about it.

After finding out when our trick-or-treat actually was (there were conflicting reports of Saturday or Sunday), I got to scheduling everything in order to be ready for the big night. Being that it would be our first Halloween in the new neighborhood, I wanted to make sure we made a BIG first impression.

By Saturday night, I had everything (albeit in a scaled-back version from last year) staged and ready to go. The only thing posing an issue was the torrential downpouring of rain accompanied by gusting winds.

As I woke up on Sunday morning, I quickly checked the weather forecast. The rain would stop by 9, and the winds would die down by 10. Perfect. Except that didn't happen...

We started setting up at 11, only to be hampered by gusting winds throughout the day. Tombstones were swaying and blowing around and my stomach was in knots. Not to mention the nagging fear that we'd go through the trouble of setting this all up and we'd get no trick-or-treaters. The stress was weighing heavy on me.

As we got closer to show time, the winds finally began to slow down, allowing us to quickly put the full cemetery together. As I stepped back, I took a second to take it all in. It actually looked pretty damn good! The knot in my stomach began to release, but I realized that I still needed to put my costume on with mere minutes to go.

As the clock struck 5, we took our places within the cemetery. And slowly trick-or-treaters showed up. Not as many as I was secretly hoping for, but they still came.

As we really got into our groove, a strange thing happened. The wind died down completely. And the sun broke through the clouds. It's as if the Pumpkin Gods were rewarding us!

And then I noticed my fog machine and chiller setup. PERFECT, lingering plumes of thick, chilled white fog rolled across the entire cemetery, creeping around my tombstones and stretching out into the street, creating the greatest fog display I have ever been able to achieve. It was AMAZING!

Mrs. Highbury snapped this photo as the sun began to set...

Perfection!! I was giddy with what was happening.

Trick-or-treaters, their parents, and neighbors began to file down the street, checking out this new display in their neighborhood. We ended up getting a nice turnout and I was pretty happy with this year's setup. 

As trick-or-treat wound down, it finally got dark enough out to get photos of the display bathed in its truly spooky lighting. I got a collection of great photos that I'll be posting up with a full review after Halloween.

Overall, our first Halloween was a huge success. The nervous planning and stressful setup gave way to a great weather, an ever greater display and a ton of fun with friends, family and new neighbors. We were the talk of my son's school bus this morning, and Highbury Cemetery has planted the first seed in becoming the new neighborhood "Halloween House."

  

A Halloween Nightmare

So it happened again. That nightmarish dream that always catches me off-guard in the days leading up to Halloween night. You know the one. Where it’s Halloween night, trick-or-treat is beginning and I suddenly realize that I don’t have anything set up. Nothing. I’m immediately smothered under a blanket of panic and dread…

And then I wake up. It’s completely dark and I have no idea where I’m at. Confused, I look around. I see the clock. 3:12 am. It was all just a nightmare. Again…

For the past 3 or 4 years, I have had this happen, and I’m actually used to it by now. The stress of the Halloween season manifests itself in this same dream that always seems too real. It almost serves as a warning to make sure that everything is ready to go.

And even this year, with our new location and a scaled-back display, the stress begins to mount and the nightmare still arrives. Luckily, I seem to be ahead of the game this time around. I’ve brought most of my props to the new house, and I now know when my official neighborhood trick-or-treat is (Sunday the 27th, from 5-7, which actually kinda sucks, but I’ll go into that a bit more at another date…).

So my internal warning has gone off and the final run-in to Halloween is on! Time to get those last few things checked off the list and hope that we have a good turnout. 16 days until the big night. Are you ready?

I'm headed back out to the garage. Good luck, everyone.

 

Closed Casket Home Haunt, 2018

In going back through the all the years that I have been writing this blog, I realized that one thing has always been missing. And that is any photos showing off anyone else's haunts in the Northeast Ohio area. Which is crazy, because there are SO MANY incredible displays!

The reason, of course, is that I'm always too busy trying to get my own haunt ready to go, and I always run out of time. Always.

But somehow, this year, I actually made time to go visit one. On the Saturday before Halloween, I got to go visit the small yard haunt that was put on by Dave over at Closed Casket Studios and his surly crew. I have only been trying to go see it the last three or four years without luck. But on this rainy, dreary night I finally made good. I grabbed a six of pumpkin beer and headed over to their shindig.

(Technically, I "saw" Dave's first yard haunt way back in 2009, the first time I met him. Unfortunately, as I wrote about it then, we made it just AFTER the local Fire Marshall visited and shut the haunt down for not meeting fire code. We still laugh about that today!)

I arrived to a rain-soaked, empty neighborhood. The bad weather had gotten them and their trick-or-treat fizzled out. Luckily everyone was still there, in high spirits. I quickly joined, but not before touring the haunt display itself and snapping away with my camera.

And even though the weather sucked, the haunt still looked great. Fantastic lighting and props, adorned with killer Closed Casket Studios prop heads and hands. There was a lot of great detail tucked into a small cemetery setup.

I'm really happy that I finally had the chance to check this haunt out. It was a welcome break in my otherwise hectic schedule leading up to Halloween night, and it gave me some inspiration for some new prop ideas for next year. From here on out, I'm going to block off time to visit at least one other haunt in the area during each Halloween season. And who knows, maybe even get in some guest acting! I think this is a big part of the haunt community that I have been neglecting...

(And yes, Randy Skalos, next year I'm absolutely, positively visiting you!! The fourth time will be the charm!!)

  

Throwback Thursday: Halloween 1976-1977

Last Thursday, I decided to revisit some of my earliest Halloween costumes in a heartwarming and hilarious Throwback Thursday post. This week, I want to keep things going with a quick Halloween visit to the years 1976 and 1977...

Halloween, 1976
After two years of trick-or-treating as some sort of witch, my parents finally got with the times. For 1976, I got my first Ben Cooper costume...

Umm, unfortunately... it was some kind of panda. With bright pink lips. And flowers on the shirt. And a picnic tablecloth for pants. Getting closer, but geez, mom...


Halloween, 1977
1977 was finally the year that my parents got their act together. A proper Ben Cooper costume for Halloween! And for boys even!!

Just look at it! A ghost! Spooky! I'm not sure if it's supposed to be Casper, but just look at that evil grin! 

And the only thing that could possibly top that costume would be those incredible jack-o-lanterns on the table behind me. Soooo good! And that weird brown fern. Now THIS is a proper Halloween photo from my past!!


Come back again next Thursday as we move further up the timeline, checking out Halloween 1978 and 1979. Two more classics that are sure to dazzle, amaze and horrify!!

  

Throwback Thursday: Halloween 1974-1975

I've always enjoyed seeing "Throwback Thursday" photos, as I'm a huge sucker for nostalgia. Especially when the throwbacks involve Halloweens past. It always evokes the wonderful memories from my own childhood, tearing through the porch-lit neighborhood with my fellow Ben Cooper-clad candy gang.

Many years ago, my mom showed up with a collection of Halloween photos from my past and as I went through the wonderful old stack, I immediately knew that they had to be shared.

It's been a long time since I originally posted them, so I wanted to revisit them again because they really are too heartwarming and hilarious not to share. Come back every Thursday in October for the continuing journey of Highbury's Halloweens Past.


Halloween, 1974
Yes, I really am that old. 1974 was the first year I celebrated Halloween. I was 16 months old at the time, and apparently ready to go out and cast evil spells across the neighborhood...

My cute blue bunny pajamas menacingly covered with a strange black-and-orange hooded druid witch cloak. Where did my parents find such a thing!? And yes, I think those are bunnies (or are they horned demons of some sort?) on broomsticks in the cloak's pattern. The only thing groovier than that cloak was our brown shag carpet. 


Halloween, 1975
So for my second year of trick-or-treating, my parents didn't go far for my costume. They simply conjured up the previous year's druid witch cloak. Only this time they added a complimentary dress, also complete with a pattern of witches, black cats and bats. What on earth!? It must have been cold this year, as a winter jacket and knit hat were added to complete the ensemble. And check out those vintage Buster Browns!!

Regardless, the cold obviously didn't deter the newly-discovered candy fiend in me, as I proudly posed with my post-trick-or-treat booty haul. That smile says it all. And even though some neighborhood miser gave out an apple, I was hooked!

Stop back next Thursday to see what insane costumes I was forced to wear for the 1976 and 1977 Halloween seasons. Another couple of photos you WON'T want to miss!!


 

The Day After.

From the pitch black darkness, I was jolted awake from the sound of the alarm clock buzzing in the other room. It was my son's clock. That meant that it was 6:30 am. Strange, because I distinctly remember setting my own alarm for 5:30 am, just before completely passing out from total exhaustion. That was about 11:45 last night...

As I tried to pull myself out of bed, I groaned from deep aches and pains that ran the entire length of my body. The middle of my back was one giant, twisted knot. My lower back felt like two dried skeletal bones painfully grinding together. My knee had been tweaked somewhere along the line, and was now swollen tight and stiff. My heel felt like a sharp concrete block that I could barely put pressure on. I literally felt like I had been run over by a dump truck. But still I was grinning from ear to ear.

As I sat and reflected on the whirlwind events from the previous night, the grin began to glow and an excited buzz began to course through my veins.



Last night's Halloween trick-or-treat celebration was awesome. Absolutely awesome. And that growing buzz helped dull the deep aches and pains from the previous day's long and heavy workload.

Our depleted crew of three began our annual Halloween yard haunt setup at 9:00 am. It was a razor sharp battle between schedule and clock. Our goal? Everything and everyone had to be in place and ready to go by 6:00 pm. That gave us just 9 hours to get it all done. Sound crazy? I knew we had a lot of time, but we would still need to be incredibly efficient to get it all done. Especially working as a team of only three.

And without an extensive and detailed setup plan, we never would have made it. Somehow, some way, everything was up and running at 5:57. All props, all lighting, all audio, all electrical. Everything. I had to stop and take it all in for a brief moment. A testament to our dedicated work and a finely detailed plan to get it all done. I took one deep breath. Exhaled. And then raced into the house. I had roughly 5 minutes to get my makeup done...

I threw in some colored contact lenses, whipped up a few grungy streaks and colors across my face, and haphazardly assembled a costume out of pieces of my MHC Masquerade Ball costumes from the past three years. And I stepped out into the haunt at roughly 6:10, ready to greet the oncoming hordes of trick-or-treaters racing to our crypt door.

And the trick-or-treaters kept coming. And coming. And coming. It was a relentless onslaught of kids, parents, friends and curious neighbors all night long. At times, it was impossible to count all the people coming and going through the cemetery arch. But they kept coming.

The two hours of trick-or-treat flew by, but each of us, now numbering 11 total actors and helpers, had an incredibly fun time. And the weather was absolutely perfect. The nighttime air was dry, but perfectly chilly and crisp. The clouds thinned, revealing the murky glow of a near-full moon. The wind even died down, allowing for some of the thickest plumes of fog I have ever seen in my many years of displays.

The final trick-or-treaters left at about 8:30 pm, and I quickly grabbed my camera, wildly snapping photos throughout the display. And by 9:00, it was time for the evening's crescendo: the tear down. 11 individuals working together to get it all taken down and put away, leaving no trace of the events that had taken place just an hour earlier. The magic of the day's events was now complete. Setup of the display, an amazing haunt visual and auditory show, then a complete tear down, returning to the stark plainness of an unlit, empty yard.

But the best part of the evening sat in a coffin at the top of the driveway. All night long, people brought donations to our first annual Halloween canned food drive. The coffin was nearly filled to the top by the end of the night. When I went to see how much we had collected, I was beside myself in shock. Neighbors and friends had really stepped up and filled the coffin for a cause! It was the perfect ending for an absolutely perfect night...

After everything had been stashed away and the annual thank you t-shirts had been given out, I limped up the stairs to upload all of the evening's photos. I was very happy with what I was able to capture! I'm currently going through and picking the best of the best to present here and across the interwebs. I'm incredibly proud of what the team was able to accomplish last night and incredibly humbled by the outpouring of support from the rest of the neighborhood.

Check back tomorrow night for a full gallery of Highbury Cemetery 2017 shots and a detailed review of the evening's events.

Saturday Night...

Photo courtesy of gravesandghouls.tumblr.com

No real post today, as I've been building a walk-in crypt in the front porch all day (it fits!!), and now I'm headed over to old Scrapes' house for a Halloween party and some trick-or-treating in his neighborhood.

Good luck and have fun to anyone else in Halloweenland who is doing their trick-or-treat thing tonight!!