I am so tempted to start setting up since I just got suspended and more then likeley let go from my job and have a bunch of free time, and as the old saying goes "Busy hands are happy hands." So I was thinking when do yall start setting up your yards/haunts?
I'm shooting for Oct. 1st to put out the graveyard, and Oct 15th to put out the more expensive stuff. After the 15th, I'll be running video surveillance on the yard in case some teenagers decide they want my stuff more than I do.
Our graveyard fence and cheap tombstones go out about the first week of October, and we switch out the lights with our green/blue spots at that time. We hang our giant skelly over the garage as well.
We've never had to worry about vandals or theft, but then we don't put out anything big/easy to mess with until the actual night of.
I'd spend the time working on projects, and I hope you're wrong about your job situation - good luck!
__________________ I'm a Halloween Bride! 10/31/2002
Where there is no imagination there is no horror.
~Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Labor day weekend (yes, I start that Friday night, even though it is still August). I use that whole weekend, and it still takes me a good 2 weeks after that to put out everything inside. I start decorating outisde usually the first weekend in October. Though the windows were already decorated earlier!!
I like to start the first week of October for outside stuff such as light up jack o lantern and some tombstones. I put more and more out as October goes and wait until the night of for things like fog machines and black lights and stuff. This year I will start at the end of August to start going through stuff in boxes, untangling lights, find extension cords and putting things out in the house that are more decorative.
How about...now? Well, last year, we were starting on maze walls about now. But only for 2 reasons...one, my haunt is in a fenced in yard, and the mausoleulm/storage shed is up year round, and the maze was anchored to the rear exit of it. Plus, I was getting married in September with a busy renfaire october, so the heavy construction had to start asap. We got about a 3rd up, then stopped for wedding stuff, and went into high gear in October.
I usually try to have the haunt sign and some light strings up on October 1st...I generally do it after dark on Sept 30. I like to have the kids on the school bus buzzing when they get up and come out to see it suddenly there. Although I was about 4 days late last year due to the honeymoon.
Anything that can take the weather gets built as soon as possible after Oct 1st...wall structures, some props...but its all in the fence. I do some front of house decor too. My big problem is that I live on top of a big hill, with constant wind. The Oct thunderstorms can be really really rough...year before last the large canvas tent I was using for one scene blew down 2 days before Halloween. My other problem is I only have about 6 inches of dirt over rock, so I can't set stakes properly to really hold things down.
Anyway, this year, we are trying to get some props built....we made major progress on a pipe organ last week and tonight...I'll be monster mudding it tomorrow night. We gutted an organ I was given, installed 2 rotisserie motors to move a buckys hands...really slow, but it will do for now...budgets too tight for new motors. After its mudded and some paint touch ups, we will be rigging the pipes to shoot fog, and adding some candles and gargoyles, but that will come closer to Halloween. Next week, we have an electric chair to finish.
The inside of my house I start doing 2 weeks into September because it takes me that long to set up the whole inside of my house. The outside I start doind October 1st. Frame to the Haunted House goes up the 1st of October as well. The really expensive things go out on October 31st and come down that night as well. Dont want to give those teenagers any ideas
__________________
Linus: You've heard about fury and a woman scorned?
Charlie Brown: Yes, I guess I have.
Linus: Well that is nothing compared to the fury of a woman who has been cheated out of tricks or treats!
I'm already heavily into prep, new halloween projects are littered about my office and the rest of the basement. I won't put anything outside til October 1st though.
When do you star setting up?
Labor Day weekend!
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