As I stated in my recap post, 2022 was a very successful year for Highbury Cemetery (especially when measured against the weather problems we faced in 2021)!
An easy pace to set up, test, and perfect the prop placement and lighting, coupled with a VERY favorable forecast leading up to the big night made for a totally fun and enjoyable Halloween for everyone! And with the wind completely dying down allowing for some of the best lingering fog effects we've ever had, this year's trick-or-treat was a memorable one.
So without further ado, I'll stop blabbing and get to the good stuff...
Ladies and gentlemonsters, boils and ghouls, I proudly present Highbury Cemetery, 2022. Enjoy!
The Trinity, my three new sheet ghost props for 2022, bathed in warm light while casting dark shadows. I'm really happy with the way these three turned out and I think they looked great positioned at the front of the Cemetery.
For 2022, I finally pulled out a classic scene that had been in storage since 2018. I brought back two of the three walls from my walk-in crypt, previously used in the front porch of my old house! I have a large, open paved area between the garage and the front door that I hadn't really utilized the previous two years, so with time to spare, I pulled the sections out and quickly rebuilt a new crypt corner! Bathed in cold, blue light, it really stood out from the rest of the Cemetery which was set in warm tones and served as a great focal point for trick-or-treaters to get their candy. This will definitely be used again in the coming years!
Another addition to this year's display, my "upgraded" jumping spider animatronic prop, was a surprisingly big hit with many of the trick-or-treaters. I watched kids standing around triggering the spider's "jump" all night.
And yes, ELEVEN years later, Little Dustin Horner, my static trick-or-treater child prop STILL gets people stopping to see if he was a real boy!
And this year's final tally: 247 trick-or-treaters, parents, neighbors, friends, and curious onlookers dared enter the gates of Highbury Cemetery in just two hours. Seven more than last year and our biggest turnout in three years at our new location! I'll take it!
And before I end it, I can't go without giving a special thanks to everyone who helped put on the show this year. I couldn't do it without your help and your presence in just making the whole night a ton of fun. Highbury Cemetery thank you t-shirts go out to: Mrs. Highbury, Christian Highbury, Sharon, Karen, Brother Scrapes (who made his triumphant return to the Cemetery this year!), Stacey and Vince, and Sean, Jenn, Mason (my new, young protege!), and Bryce. And a special "ARRR!" to my crazy neighbor Jai, who showed up dressed as a barefoot pirate, complete with his own theme song playing from his back pocket. Hilarious!
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So there you have it. Halloween, 2022 is done and dusted and the Cemetery is closed for another year. The success of this year has me REALLY motivated to start on next year's display...and we will be going BIG, because 2023 will mark the 20th year of Highbury Cemetery. Where has the time gone!? And how are we THAT old!?!?
Only 363 days until Halloween. Are you ready?
