[Kimber53711]

We have plans to visit Salem next year. I have been wanting to go for a few years now but just never made it. Maybe we will try and go in October. Glad to hear people make return trips, it will be a long haul for us so I am glad to hear it is really nice.

 

[hallorenescene]

when asked where would be the one place i would like to visit if i had time and money and my answer is always massachusetts. i would want to go in the fall. i hear the trees are beautiful then.

 

[ssflipo13]

I would say watching the kids get closer to my yard haunt in anticipation of their screams and watching them run away screaming their little heads off.lmao just thinking about it.

 

[MHooch]

Boy, it really is hard to narrow it down....I love it all...decorating, party, costumes, TOTers, setting up the Spooky Village, pumpkin patch, cool clear nights, burning leaf smoke...

BUT....hold a gun to my head and ask me that question, and I would blurt out:

Watching Young Frankenstein with my daughter while we carve pumpkins.

Oh, wait, wait....I thought of something else: putting the JOL face on the Magic Pumpkin!!

 

[MrsMyers666]

My favorite thing has been sidelined for the time being. I loved putting out my display at my parents and handing out candy to the TOT's, but I had to go and buy a condo, so no TOT or display. Waiting for the day I can do it all again. I do get to decorate at work and now I'm in an office so may have to go all out this year. Now my concentration has been my costume and having a party, but it's not the same for me.

I love carving a pumpkin every year and just the feel of the season. I smile when I see that first Halloween item at a store even if it is cutesy.

 

[Laurie S.]

I love going for a walk in some woods that have a bit of spooky history during the Halloween season...they have a different feel at that time.

 

[snigglez]

My favorite activity is something very special and personal, It's a Memory. Every year come October I start to think of the times I had with my dad when I was really young and when he was at this very house getting ready for Halloween setting up the Haunt making props and figuring out how this will work and what he needs Keeping the carport all under wraps waiting to reveal his creations of the Big Night. That is a major memory for me when it comes to my dad. My parents don't live here anymore but still come over every Halloween to share old times and new times with us, And my dad always seems to find something to give me to add to my Front House for Halloween.

 

[pumpkinman]

I love the first time I have to put on a comfy oversized sweatshirt to go outside and do yard work. I love jogging through my secluded forest trail with the changing tree as I listen to "This is Halloween" on my IPOD. I love setting out decorations then watching the Halloween specials on television and movies like "Hocus Pocus" and "When good ghouls go bad." .. and "Ghosthunters" live specials. I love going to Haunted Houses and Haunted Hayrides with my nephews... and in a few short years my son. I love taking day trips to back river roads and try to explore new places of beauty painted by natures hand...

In all, I love the refresh my soul gets during the Autumn season. Halloween is the pefect cap for it...

 

[rocketscience]

I really enjoy shopping all year long for Halloween handouts. I hit all the after holiday sales and after season sales and pick anything that will be a great handout--packs of lipglosses 5 to a pack after Easter, anything after Halloween, leprechanun figures after St. Pat's, black silk roses, daisies. BOttles of bubbles after summer. School supplies, Mardi gras beads. Multi packs of dinosaurs, sea creatures, snakes, bugs. SMall stuffed animals. Multi packs of baby toys. I enjoy setting up the yard decor, putting out candles scented as licorice, spiced apple and candy corn to line the walk to the goodies. I also enjoy shopping in thrist stores all year for items to use/transform into costumes.props I also dress up as a witch and my very friendly and cooperative cats mill around me and the trick or treaters to add a wonderful atmosphere. I love it when the parents and kids brings their cameras and take their pictures with me. I also enjoy the exasperated fussing from my husband and son about where am I going to keep all the "junk" all year long, why do I buy so much,!!!! My daughter and I just shake our heads and laugh at their silly questions. We set out tables and spread the loot and have a Witches's Shop each year. TOTS can pick 3 items from the table and one full sized candy bar, bag of cookies or other snacks, soda. We have about 170-200 TOTS each year. Kids come up to me when I am shopping and recognize me and tell me we have the best house on Halloween. We also have Trunk N' Treat at our church and we participate in that. (without the witch costume and cats, obviously!)
What I least enjoy is the increasing rudeness of greediness of the children AND their parents
each year. SOme of the parents behave very badly. LAst year someone in the most realisitic Joker makeup and costume I have ever seen showed up and just stood at the end of our drive and intimidated the TOTS until I had to resort to threats after he didn't take my polite suggestions to leave.
One of the sweetest things happened last year also. One boy asked me if he put one of his three table treats back could he get one of the lipglosses for his mother. I told him no but he could have the lipgloss anyway because he thought of his mother.

If we could have something similar to TOT for Christmas, I would do that, too.
.

 

[Tumblindice]

Buying props.

 

[Shadowbat]

Probably my Halloween Party. I try to incorporate everything that I enjoy doing in the Fall season into the party itself.

 

[Laurie S.]

I love the first time I have to put on a comfy oversized sweatshirt to go outside and do yard work. I love jogging through my secluded forest trail with the changing tree as I listen to "This is Halloween" on my IPOD. I love setting out decorations then watching the Halloween specials on television and movies like "Hocus Pocus" and "When good ghouls go bad." .. and "Ghosthunters" live specials. I love going to Haunted Houses and Haunted Hayrides with my nephews... and in a few short years my son. I love taking day trips to back river roads and try to explore new places of beauty painted by natures hand...

In all, I love the refresh my soul gets during the Autumn season. Halloween is the pefect cap for it...

Oooh. THIS.

 

[pumpkinman]

Oooh. THIS.

Great minds think alike

 

[TheEighthPlague]

The thing I like the most is the pressure. Having 10 days' work left to do, three days before the big day, yet somehow getting nearly everything done. Props built and up, foggers fogging, webs webbed, costumes finished, makeup applied, and just in the nick of time, scaring the bejeezers out of tons of little kids. The best is when they are too scared to approach the house and collect their candy. <insert evil laugh here>

8th Plague

 

[BackYardHaunter]

]

wait a second. oh god wrong thread.

 

[psox16]

I love the planning! I try to plan a ton of activities around Halloween...haunted hay rides, parties, scary movie nights, pumpkin carving, bonfires, etc. Unfortunately, very few of my friends are as interested in Halloween (they'd rather just dress up and have a drunken party on the big night). So, I end up combining a couple of ideas and having a big event. Like, meeting at my house for a spooky themed dinner, then go out to a haunted hayride or house, then coming back for scary movies.

My new favorite, however, is my pumpkin bake. I read about the recipe online, you gut a medium size pumpkin, and fill it with browned beef, rice, cheese, diced peppers, soy sauce, and salt and bake it in the oven. It is delicious and hearty, and you scoop out the meat of the pumpkin with the rest of the food. It's always a big hit!

 

[hallorenescene]

psox, that does sound yummy. i'm gonna have to try it

 

[Hallowzeve]

My favorite activity is planning what I am going to do for Halloween. Whether it be a party, going to haunted houses, pumpkin carving or going through all of my Halloween props and stuff to decide what I am going to use. Coincidentally, per your opening thread, the GF and I are planning to go to Salem the 3rd week of October. I've been to the websites and Salem looks like it will be great. We were originally planning on staying through the 31st, but I want to get back in time to have some kind of Halloween dinner party and set up for TOTs. See...already planning!

 

[Duke Scarecrow]

Months before Halloween you build and plan how you want your scene to be. When you finish creating a prop you set it aside. On that day you put all your props out and get everything set. My favorite activity is taking the final pictures and videos of everything finally set up. It is the final product of your hard work and obsession.

I have to agree with Spats though that that first sip of mulled apple cider is one of my favorites. Nothing smells like Halloween than that.

Also I love seeing the ToT slow down when they get to our house, afraid to go further.

 

[IshWitch]

I’m an hour north of Salem MA. So each year I take a day off from work and go to
Salem MA. Mid October. Love it there. The whole town decked out for Halloween. Awesome.

We visited there in October a couple of years ago, even went on a ghost tour! (boy were we freezing) What a blast! The old jail/prison is so creepy.
We love Salem! We love Boston, just don't get up there from down here often enough.

My favorite thing to do is setting out and positioning my Buckies. I love to give them poses to bring out their personalities! AND set up and run the foggers. I love fog, real or otherwise, I could run foggers every day!