SEATTLE — From horror movies to skeleton decorations, several Evening stories have been in the Halloween/fall spirit this month! We've made it easy to read them all here as the countdown to Oct. 31 continues.
Attack of the giant pumpkins!
There's something weird and wonderful taking shape in Seattle's Maple Leaf neighborhood. It's a "giant" effort that started a couple of years ago.
"This was our pandemic pumpkin project," said Brooke Oettinger.
In 2020, Oettinger and her next-door neighbor, Karl Pauly, set out to brighten the mood of the neighborhood by planting a couple of champion seeds and growing their own jack-o'-lanterns in the front yard strip of soil between the street and sidewalk. But you could say things have gotten out of hand.
"It's an obsession," Oettinger said. "Every year you want to beat your last weight."
"The first one I grew hit 684 pounds," Pauly added. "Which isn't too bad for the front of your yard in Seattle."
Oettinger's first gourd weighed in at 221 pounds. Last year she nearly doubled that.
If you're passing through Maple Leaf be sure to say hello to the farmers with the smallest garden and the biggest crop.
"It gets you outside," Pauly said. "It gets you talking to everybody. It's an instant icebreaker. Grow a plant. Meet your neighbors."
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A spooky season tradition in Seattle: 'This Is Halloween' is now playing
The 15th anniversary edition of "This Is Halloween" is in the midst of a 24-show run at The Triple Door. Inspired by the quirky works of Tim Burton, the burlesque show, produced by the Can Can Culinary Cabaret, has some familiar characters and a musical score loosely based on songs by soundtrack composer Danny Elfman.
The show follows the adventures of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, of Halloweentown. He discovers Christmas Town not far away, and that's when the plot thickens.
Jasmine Jean Sim, who plays the villainous Oogie Boogie, has a pretty good idea why "This Is Halloween" has become a spooky season tradition in Seattle.
"It's just a good time and it's a great way to escape," Sim said. "And then knowing it comes year after year, if you haven't been at a certain point you're thinking 'Okay, what is going on over there?'"
By burlesque standards, "This Is Halloween" is tamer than most shows. Audiences need to be 17 or older for the early show and 21 or older for the late show.
Meet the funny cast of family movie 'The Curse of Bridge Hollow'
A dad who loathes Halloween moves his family to a small town with a big thing for the holiday — what could possibly go wrong?
In "The Curse of Bridge Hollow," just about everything — from giant spiders to scary clowns — is on the attack.
Marlon Wayans produced and stars in the family comedy, which is streaming on Netflix.
Northwest Haunts include some well-known places
Writer Bess Lovejoy thinks the Northwest is the perfect place to gather ghost stories.
“I do think there's sort of a moodiness in this region that can feel ghostly," Lovejoy said. "And I don't know if I believe this but some paranormal enthusiasts say that rain kind of acts as a spiritual conductor, that rain and moisture kind of hold on to emotions.”
She's compiled a chilling guidebook to our spooky spaces, "Northwest Know-How: HAUNTS" and some of them are hauntingly familiar.
Meet the Edmonds skeletons whose 'love story' brings neighbors together
An Edmonds family keeps the Halloween spirit alive and well in their front yard, year-round.
Their resident decorative skeletons — named “Bonnie and Clyde” — pose in various themes to celebrate all holidays.
"Skeletons just want to be dead; they don't really want to pose,” laughed Dean Soderlund, who engineers the displays. His wife Tina conjures up the ideas.
Halloween is the best time of year to visit, and the Soderlunds welcome everyone. Their house is located at 7025 176th Place SW in Edmonds. You can also follow Bonnie and Clyde’s Adventures on Facebook.
The talking dead greet visitors to Seattle's Pioneer Square
There's no better place for ghost hunting than the streets of Pioneer Square. And the "Spooked in Seattle" tour takes guests to some of the neighborhood's creepiest places.
"Look behind those curtains to make sure no one's hiding back there," said tour guide Danielle Siler to a group assembled in the basement of Merchants Café and Saloon, reputed to be one of Seattle's most haunted haunts.
Through vivid storytelling and a few visual aids brought along on her iPad, Siler paints a picture of the neighborhood as it existed more than a century ago.
Enjoy spirits — and, spirits — at this historic bar in Seattle's Pioneer Square
An historic bar in Pioneer Square is known for specializing in spirits... and spirits.
Merchants Café and Saloon was established in 1890 in the heart of Pioneer Square and is a tourist destination for visitors who like ghost stories.
But lead bartender Michael Harris, who was born and raised in the neighborhood, said it’s also a place for locals.
"I think anyone who loves history would love Merchants,” he said. "It's a place that sticks with you. Once you're here once, you definitely don't forget coming."
Behind the bar, a binder filled with photos and handwritten stories serves as a “history book,” documenting decades of unexplained happenings.
Dogs and ghosts frequent this Snohomish dive bar
Built in 1898, the Old Inn Tavern has grown to be a staple in the community.
"Everybody knows each other," Heather Hanson said. "We've all gone to the same school. It's nice to know that no matter what in here I'm safe."
A large beer garden is featured at the Old Inn and dogs are welcome.
There is a belief that the place is haunted by a ghost named Theodore Joseph. According to Tashlie Hullman, a bar stool can be seen slowly falling at closing time nearly every night.
The surprisingly sweet behind-the-scenes story of horror film 'Halloween Ends'
After more than four decades in the making, “Halloween Ends” marks the final chapter for the franchise first launched in 1978.
But despite the gore and horror, there’s also a sweet side to the new film. Lifelong bonds were made behind-the-scenes.
Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays “Final Girl” Laurie Strode, said the work she’s done, particularly over the past three films, has been life changing.
Alien corn maze lands in Kent
One of the first things you'll notice at Carpinito Brothers Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze this year is the massive champion pumpkin grown by Olympia schoolteacher Cindy Tobeck. The monster weighs nearly a ton. It's flanked by other top contenders from their first annual giant pumpkin competition.
Other Instagramable sights await around every turn, including a "U-pick" pumpkin patch filled with a bumper crop of orange goodness for the haunting season, and plentiful piles of harvested pumpkins and gourds of every color.
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Glass pumpkin season is a time to celebrate for collectors
Not all pumpkins are meant for carving. Some are meant to be just a bit more permanent and handled with care.
A treasured Northwest tradition nearly three decades in the making, glass pumpkin patches offer shoppers hundred of choices in all shapes, sizes and colors.
Each one is born in fire. Artists at Tacoma Glassblowing Studio made six-thousand hand blown glass pumpkins this year.
Every pumpkin begins as a molten piece of glass.
A little bit of chemistry, a whole lot of heat and a dash of magic bring them all to life. And no two pumpkins are the same.
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