Thread: Neighborhood contest bummer

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Well, my neighborhood was suppose to have a "best haunted house" contest tonight from 7-9. I took the day off of work and my husband took a 1/2 day so we could finish up some props and do the setting up. Rushed like crazy to get things done...and NO ONE showed up! We live in a cul-de-sac...and with exception of my neighbors, 2 pizza guys and some friends and family who came by to see things in action...no one else did! They even had people who thought there houses were the best send them emails so that they would know where to be sure to look. Now it's not that we were dying to win the prize or anything...but why have a contest if you aren't really going by the houses? My hubby and I sat outside in the 30 degree cold for three hours waiting to see them and hoping to see their reactions to our place. Some of my neighbors were saying that a few cars had stopped in front of our place last night and sat there for a bit....I would think there was a chance that maybe they came a day early just to knock out a few houses early...but we didn't have any of our electrical/big things out that day because it wasn't the posted date or time. The other house that goes all out in our neighborhood had taken the day off to set up today as well...we may stop by and ask them tomorrow if they saw anyone.

Would you all call the Homeowners Association or anything and complain (they are the ones running it)? Same thing happened last year...they said they gave out prizes to the winners....but the 3rd place person was suppose to be one of my neighbors who ONLY had out a few Pumpkins...NO real decorations. Part of me thinks they just never go by, then just hand out awards to random people...I'm soooo upset and annoyed!! Just had to vent :-(

That really stinks hack....I mean, a lot of us say we are only doing it for ourselves, such as the people who live in the middle of nowhere, or those who get virtually no TOTS, but a little feedback can be very gratifying too. I would ask your Homeowners Association what the exact parameters of this "contest" are, and how do they judge it?

That sucks. Unfortunately, there's probably not much to be done about it. Small little contests like this are probably not anything that they'll bend over backwards for unless there's something in it for them.

I get where you're coming from about the contest, though. Yeah, you don't mind not winning, but you want to not win based on merit, not because they were too lazy to come look. The whole point of decorating is to hopefully make something that other people would enjoy looking at. If no one comes looking, you haven't transferred that enjoyment to anyone else. Yeah, you might have had fun building it, but the real payoff is when you see the light in the eyes of your visitors.

It sounds to me that you might want to take matters into your own hands next year, and host a contest yourself. Or see if the Homeowner's Association would let you run their contest next year so you can do it right.