Halloween is one of those holidays that you just can’t help but have fun. Even trekking through snowy October 31st ‘s in Canada, we could still barely contain our excitement. There is such a joy that goes with creating another persona for one night a year. That chance to be your inner superhero or inner demon, what ever fits the bill. That moment as parents when your child shakes their tiny bootie in the cutest duck costume that you almost can’t contain your laughter. As the years continue, the costumes become either more elaborate or almost non-existent. In our case, each year is a well thought out process that doesn’t usually happen overnight.
What else is new is that some of our annual Halloween festivities now begin earlier in the week leading up to Halloween and at home the night of Halloween. It’s not unusual for family to pop by our neighborhood because we have such a spectacular Halloween Street. Yes, one of ‘those’ streets that pops up in various neighborhoods around the USA, where almost all the neighbors conjure up something special for the kids to oogle over.
To start things off we headed to Descanso Gardens, host of the spectacular pumpkin extravaganza “Rise of the Jack-O-Lanterns”! This year’s show was no disappointment featuring Minions, Star Wars, Skeleton athletes, and a human sized spider web!
This week will be a 4-D feature at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood to see Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. Not sure what all it will entail, being ‘4-D’ but we will find out! We are also catching the restored 1931 classic Dracula which is being screened at the Ace Theater in Downtown LA with a live soundtrack from Composer Philip Glass along with Kronos Quartet.
For the older crowd looking for a few scares outside of Universal Studios (Halloween Horror Nights), check out our friends haunted experience: “Alone: An Existential Haunting.” But don’t think you can hang on to your boyfriend or bestie; the experience is called “Alone” for a reason.
Finally, Halloween night will have us sipping a few haunted cocktails before we venture down the street to see if The Empire Strikes Back at this years frightening youngsters. (Check out a few photos from the neighborhood to see what I mean.) In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the recipe that follows and again…please drink responsibly.
Ghastly Tangerine Cocktail
¼ oz Basil Simple Syrup *
1 oz Bourbon Whiskey
1 oz Remi Martin Cognac VSOP
2 – 3 oz of Tangerine Juice
Fill half a cocktail shaker with ice and add all ingredients. Shake until well blended and cold. Strain into a cocktail glass and serve! You can add more or less tangerine juice depending on how strong you like it. It will add an additional orange feel to any Halloween table!
*(Check out recipe for simple syrup here.)
Photos by: Kelly Norris Sarno
