From the Editor
There’s no mistaking that the calendar has once again turned to October. The days are shorter, the nights cooler and suddenly, our neighbors’ front lawns are filled with more than just fall leaves.
Halloween decorations, large and small, adorn many lawns throughout South Jersey. It’s a sign of the playful, spooky season we all love. And this year, it’s bigger and bolder than ever.
You’ve likely noticed that Halloween decorating has reached a whole new level. No longer are a carved pumpkin or a few scattered tombstones enough to catch anyone’s eye. Nowadays, many go all out with elaborate displays of inflatable characters, animatronic witches, strobe lights and even homemade walk-through haunted attractions.
Skeletons seem to be the most popular of all, including the gigantic 12-foot skeleton, known as “Skelly.” Have you seen the skeletons scaling up the sides of houses as if they plan to enter through the windows? I’ve seen skeletons of dogs, cats, and even a dinosaur recently!
When I was a kid, I got excited over even small and scarce Halloween decorations because Halloween just wasn’t a big deal back then.
My husband’s parents’ anniversary was on Halloween, which I always thought was odd. When I asked them about it once, they shrugged and said no one really cared about Halloween in the 1950s.
By the time I was a mom in the early 2000s, Halloween was gaining momentum. I loved putting fake cobwebs on our shrubbery and dangling huge spider decorations from the porch.
When the kids were in first and second grade we had a big Halloween party for the neighborhood kids, playing silly games like wrapping your partner in toilet paper to turn them into a mummy. Grandma and Pop-pop came to that party, Pop-pop in funny glasses, google eyes and a fake mustache. My kids thought it was hilarious.
I have a tendency to get overly enthusiastic about all of the holidays including Halloween. I love a good haunted hayride, and Terror in the Junkyard has been a family tradition for us for decades.
My now adult daughters, who no longer live in the area, still make sure we go every year when they come to visit in October. We’ve recently added a visit to Forever Forest to our October traditions as well. They offer family fun for the little ones during the day, but really turn up the scare-factor at sundown.
There’s no doubt there is plenty of Halloween and seasonal fun to be had at the Jersey Shore. Check out 8 ways to celebrate the season on page 12, as well as the Events & Happenings section of this paper on page 16.
It’s still festival season and there are some of the biggest ones happening this weekend.
For the more adult nightlife scene, explore Wahoo, highlighted in yellow in each issue of Shore Local. From family fun to fabulous shows and entertainment, there is something for everyone.
Peace & Love,
Cindy
