AND...We're done and put away for 2016. (11/7/16)
2016 was a raging success. The main show was run every 15 minutes this year. We were averaging approx 40-50 people at each run from 5:30 onward. Between 7:30-9:30 we had shows with over 90 people watching. Total attendance was between 12-1300 for the night. Next year we are going to see if the city will permit us to block off Elder Street in an effort to keep our visitors away from passing cars. There was simply not enough room on the sidewalk this year to hold the crowd.
The Gazette Times did a beautiful article this year that brought in a ton of folks. Link will be on the "about us" page. The City of Corvallis also put a link on the "what to do in town" page that resulted in over a thousand hits to this website. The weekend before Halloween had tons of traffic checking out the static display. Hopefully, those folks saw the main event.
Mother Nature totally redeemed herself this year with weather. 2015 was a wall of water. 2016 was almost t-shirt weather all night. I was in short sleeves and shorts putting the display away last week.
Thanks to our neighbors for their unending patience and support. We could not and would not do this if we didn't get the positive feedback. Also, thanks to Zach Jackson who was our Magic Mirror again this year.
I've already got sketches drawn up and a parts list for 2017. The 3rd hitching ghost (Gus) is well on his way. Now that we have storage space we are going to have some fun with some facade pieces next year that will allow some projection mapping.
YEAH its 2016!!
OK, its been that way for some time now. (Almost 2017!) The black cloud you see over Elder Street is flat black spray paint as we finish up this years additions to the display. The static display is going to include a couple of new tombstones and another member of the Hitchhiking Ghosts. The Halloween night show is going to include a new addition that will feature our most complicated animatronic to date. The tikibirds are very basic when compared to this new prop. Remember: our graveyard display during the month is only 30% of what you will see/experience on the 31st. Make sure you swing by. We guarantee this is the best free Halloween show you will see in the valley.
Note: The display will be set up the weekend of October 8th this year.
OK so it's 2016 now...We will be at the west coast haunt convention this year as a home haunter booth. we will also be providing a lecture or two!
** NEW: WE MADE THE FRONT PAGE OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes that's correct our little Haunt in corvallis made nationwide news and was featured on the front page of the wall street journal. we are very proud and a bit humbled over this honor. Thanks to jim carlton at the wsj who flew up from the bay area just to interview us. jim was very cool to chat with and get this...the guy wrote his notes in shorthand!! that's how you know someone is an old school hardcore journalist. ezra was the item that was the line drawing. obviously I bought every copy at winco and safeway and will be framing one for the office.
The story ran Friday 10/30 and the link below should take you to the article.
**NEW: Go to "ABOUT US" FOR THE NEW KVAL TV NEWS STORY ON OUR HAUNT!!!!!
WELCOME TO 2015 !
2015 has seen another large increase in our display. We not only have added items to the yard display and Halloween tribute show we have added a lot of items inside the home as well. Taking a trip to the MK will do that!
This spring we participated in the west coast haunters convention in Portland. We hosted a trade show display and Rich taught a class on computer prop control using Light O Rama and other hardware/software. Holiday Coro sponsored part of the lecture by donating an example of the DMX RGB flood light kits we use. Thanks Dave!
We met a ton of fellow "Haunters" and had an epic time not to mention we learned a lot. Ed and the crew with the WCHC run a class act and the best part is it's a non-profit fund raiser for their school. Check out the links page for info on these folks.
We have expanded the HM theme and have added several new props/features to our humble haunt.
Ezra Hitchhiking Ghost
Leota tombstone
Breathing grave
Talking pirate skull
Catcher Mask Pop-Up-Go Beavs!
Additional DMX lights
Upgraded sound
Digital video players (no more dvds to get all fogged up when its moist!)
New "City of the Dammed" Logo with a refined Grim Beaver
Reworked Team Headstones
New security camera DVR with an additional 4 cameras (total = 16 now vandals beware)
New motion detectors with internal and external alarms (If you enter the yard I WILL know...)
Additional motion lights
When you list it all out this was a busy year!! The static yard display is up now and will appear nightly from 6 pm until 9 pm S-Th. Friday and Saturday the display will be lit until 10:00.
The main show will be Saturday October 31st from dusk -10 pm. This years show will be similar in format to last years and is approx 9.5 minutes long. It wil be running in a loop all night with a short rest period in between. If you have not seen the main show consider the yard display is only 1/2 of what is visible on the big day. Currently the yard has 20 power cords to run what is up. Halloween night we will be running a full 49 50' cables plus dozens of other spliters etc.
We hold the big guns in reserve becasue 1. a lot of the props wouldn't survive all month in the rain. 2. we want to keep our neighbors happy and it is a bit overwhelming if run all the time.
Check out the photos and about us links for the video feature on KEZI last year and pics of the yard/show.
Directions on how to get to our display are on Contact Us link.
2016 was our last year at Elder Street. There will not be a show/display for 2017. Hopefully, a location will be found to bring us back to life for 2018.
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