The calendar reads March, it’s 82 degrees and how do we spend our Saturday? At the 5th Spook Show presented by The Halloween Club. This annual event is a stop-gap to gather with some spooky friends, check out the scary vendors and their newest creations and be entertained by some creepy folks that have talents you usually only see in the dark of night.

This year being the 5th one, you could see the growth in not only attendance, but in the amount and variety of vendors and entertainers. Pretty soon there will be nowhere on location to park due to the need for the size of this March event. Parking is already at a premium and you can almost sell your spot when you leave for some good money. No… really!

Vendors come from far and wide with a variety of items to see, touch and buy. There are so many things Halloween out amongst the rows of these creative people. And if it is not outside, you can also stroll into the store for a one day only 40% off discount. I am going to be completely honest here, I too had a shopping mission. To get my hands on a pumpkin purse from Love Pain and Stitches. These bags are hand cut and sewn and not too expensive, but are hard to come by because they are desired by so many people. I am happy to say, Mission Accomplished! Stood in the hot sun and got my hands on a black and orange bag and I am super happy to have one. There were so many awesome vendors out there selling their goods in the baking sun. The Poison Apples brought out their yummy apples but also had a new creation salted lemon caramels. Oh man! Oh man! Those are delicious! Not even going to share them with my husband- all mine!

Ghoulish Bunny Studios had a new piece I had to add to my collection -Beauty and the Beast reimagined.Amazing! Pretty Scary Creations takes normal things and transforms them into creepy stuff you just must have. Did someone say I need a mask? ProliFX Effects Studio creates, molds and sculpts some pretty freaky masks. There was a booth that had a nonstop line of people, the Midsummer Scream Festival. What is this you ask? Let me tell you. It is a Halloween event in July at the Long Beach Convention Center that will have vendors, panels, haunted attractions and so much more. There were well over 100 vendors that I could tell you page after page of all the items showcased, but you will just have to go next year and see for yourself. The vendors are not getting rich coming to this show, but they come due to a labor of love for that which is Halloween. Bring some money because you will definitely spend it.

When your tummy starts a grumbling, food trucks were right there to curb that hangry feeling. My favorite, The Viking Truck came back again this year with their Dragon Eggs. Tater tots, topped with chili, cheese, sour cream, Sriracha sauce and Viking ketchup. Need I say more? Another food truck was the Southern Fried Vegan. I heard guests talking about the food there and that is was yummy. Maybe next year we will give it a try. Scooter’s Italian Ice was also a huge hit and I am sure that treat was keeping people nice and cool. You don’t even need to leave the area with all of the yumminess right there for all to enjoy.

If your feet start hurting, pull up a chair at the stage and be ready for some entertainment, but not your typical entertainment.

These creeps came out into the light of day to put on a show you won’t forget. Dangerous D is always one step away from going just too far that you may have to turn your head or cover your eyes. He roams the aisles waiting for people to staple money onto his body. Yes folks you did read that correct. I am one of those people who staple money to his body. It is so wrong that I do it each year and have fun doing it too.

Rocking the stage was the talented Rhythm Coffin. Their song “Scary Carrie from the Cemetary” always gets the crowd singing and screaming along. Chris Hannan read his own brand of scary poetry. Hopefully it didn’t come back to haunt you in your dreams. Monte Revolta and his band of the Living Dead showcased some well-known songs with a creepy twist. Rotley, his sidekick, showed off his talented dance moves. We also learned that some of the songs Monte Revolta performs will be going into the crypt after this show. With so much to see, we missed some of the acts, so hopefully next year we are able to catch more.

Speaking of entertainment, there are many of the attendees who come dressed as their favorite Halloween/ Horror character. Lots of clowns roamed the event and for those with coulrophobia (fear of clowns), this was not a welcome sight. There was also a mini Billy the Puppet from the Saw franchise. He was posing for photographs while riding his tricycle up and down the rows.

For most of the guests the common costume was the color black. Not the best color for such a hot day, but a true favorite with this crowd no matter where they gather. Makeup also plays a huge part in Halloween. Guests also made themselves up in ghoulish makeup to go along with their outfits. There were also makeup demos being brought to the guests by Larry Bones of Boneyard Effects and CovenFX. It is always amazing to see the creation and transformation that these creative people pull together.

A very cool thing with these Halloween folk is the unity. It truly amazes me as to how this one little holiday brings together so many people from different walks of life and cities up and down the freeway. In watching the people interacting with one another I couldn’t help but notice the hugs, the smiles and laughter! Selfies were being taken, photos being snapped and posted all over Social Media. An exciting time gathering together to celebrate the common love of Halloween. Pretty cool!

 Renee lives in a small suburb of Los Angeles with her husband. Each day she crosses the border into Orange County to go to her desk at a large HR outsourcing company. If you catch her in an elevator, she will usually check out your shoes and wonder where you got them. Renee enjoys most things Halloween, taking photos everywhere she goes, bouncing around theme parks and listening to her rock music at very high decibels.


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