Trick-or-Treat 2024

Trick-or-Treat for us was last Sunday. It goes from 4:00 to 7:00 so I was happy to have a nice, warm evening to be out there. You might remember that I had to wear snow pants under my costume a few years back! This year, I had some glittery gold extensions to wear in my hair. See them glittering in the sun? 

The skeleton rat was out again and as usual he got a lot of attention. A few kids patted him on the head, one waved as they left and said "Bye puppy" to it, and one kid asked "What's with the dead mice? Oh, is it a decoration?" ??? 

The kids were funny as usual and also very polite. I'd say more or less 65 of them came by. That's a decent amount, although I think around 100 came by last year. 

Some kids who stood out from this year:

🍬The little guy whose grandma had made a stroller or wagon into a garbage truck, complete with garbage hanging off the back on strings. All the kids with her were dressed in those neon yellow/green vests, as was grandma. They come up and she points at my shoes and says to him "Oooh, look at her shoes!" I put my foot out and kind of model it around to show him. Then the kid does the same with his sneaker to me until we were toe to toe. It was so cute.

🍬The three teenage girls who were dressed in togas with gold headdresses. (It was a nice night but not that nice!) They lined up and said "Hi!" and I said "Greek Goddesses?" They all said "Yeah!" in unison.

🍬The tall (I assume older teen?) guy who came up in a sheet with eyeholes cut out and his prescription glasses over the top of them. And also a red clown wig over his head. I said "Um? Ghost Clown" And I heard some laughter and "Yeah". Although, I'm not sure that wasn't just one of those grab things around the house costumes!

🍬The girl who was 13 tops, who saunters up in this skin-tight black pleather outfit that looks like it was painted on her and wearing cat ears. She just stands there alone with this dead serious face and says "Catwoman". I think my jaw literally dropped, as I said "Uh, yeah. I assumed." Then she says "Don't be afraid of my whip" and pulls this real (not costume) whip out from behind her back and snaps it on the ground in front of me. This kid knew how to use it. And whatever room my jaw had left to drop, dropped. This kid never so much as cracked a smile. I gave her some candy and she wandered off cracking that whip at other kids who were running away. I thought 1) What just happened? 2) I really hope she doesn't knock on the wrong door. 

🍬The adorable little girl who walked up with her friends as the Ghostbusters song was playing on my CD player. As she walked away with her candy, the "Who you gonna call?" part played. She turned around and pointed yelling "Ghostbusters!"

🍬The girl who walked up as Ghostface from Scream with a rubber human heart in her hand. She didn't say anything. (People dressed in this costume never do) but she was kind of holding the heart out. So I reached out and she handed it to me. I squeezed it and all this fake blood went rushing up tubes and into her mask. It was so gross! 

🍬The very small boy who ran up dressed as maybe a train conductor with this giant pillowcase over his shoulder. He was all alone and really rushing. I said "Looks like you have a lot of candy there" and he says out of breath "Wooh. I have been running non-stop for five blocks and I went to every door!" So I congratulated him and he leaves. By the time he gets to the street he struggles and flings the pillowcase over his shoulder and yells back "And my back is aching!"

🍬And lastly, the little girl who I had never seen before. It's important to mention I've never seen her or her sibling or parents in this story, because they weren't from nearby. She gets her candy, is shy and sweet, turns and is halfway down the sidewalk before stopping. She stops in her tracks, turns her body, and points at a house. She says "That's a haunted house". Her mom was like "Uh, OK then." and kind of laughed it off. Thing is, I think she's right. That's a blog post in itself! Anyway, I have chills just thinking about that.

A fun new addition to this year's trick-or-treat display was this bubbling cauldron. A friend actually made this! (Thanks Sandy!) 💗

And check this out: It lights up! The purple lights really added something. And what's neat is that it is battery operated. So I didn't have to find a plug out there. That's an issue each year. Look at those skeletal hands clutching the cauldron!

A close-up view of the bubbles:

As you can see, by the end of the night the rat had a lot less company in the candy bowl. I hope you guys had an eventful trick-or-treat night with good weather, that is if it has happened already. I know some places do it on actual Halloween night. In that case, have fun tomorrow! 🍬

Some Outstanding Local Decorations

Halloween decorations around town have really been something this year. It could be that people were just in the spirit more than usual or it could be that I've found some new areas in town to look at. Perhaps those areas were always this good!

This past summer and also this fall, walking around town and discovering new areas became a real pastime for me. I started to explore the older areas of town and really got into being around the old homes. I also discovered some little forest areas, hidden bridges, and what felt like secret paths. Since no one else was around, they felt like a secret! Or at least like they hadn't been frequented that much lately.

As I wandered around in the summer, I started looking forward to seeing what these places would look like in fall. I thought "Wow! Great old homes like these are the perfect backdrop for Halloween decorations!" And since we haven't been to Cedarburg in a few years, I was happy to find a replacement. Especially a replacement that is so nearby!

I took so many photos, it's nuts. I have winnowed down my daytime favorites to this set, and I hope to get the nighttime photos up tomorrow for Halloween. That will take a lot more winnowing. I think this is the 15-foot "Towering Phantom". 

These photos I started with were of the massive figures that are all the rage this year. The 12-foot skeletons! And if you guys have seen them, you know how the eyes move. It's almost like they can tell where a person is.

All the above photos were taken in the same yard. These people really went to town. The woman who went with these decorations happened to be out and was super nice. I've noticed that people have a way of appearing as you're checking out their decorations. Sometimes they come over to chat or quickly light up the lights or start the spooky sounds when they see an admirer. 

So onto the older section of town I was talking about...

This life size witch figure actually freaked me out the first time I saw her. I was walking along alone and didn't expect her. Not that she's even scary! She's actually quite friendly looking.

This looks like a vintage witch to me.

The woman who set this up also happened to be out and was very friendly and up for talking about her decorations. She had this shed next to her house.

A few close-ups:

There was a big old rubber bat hanging from the tree. It was a pretty creepy sight to see from below.

Here's a peek inside the shed:

Running alongside her property was this wall-like form. Maybe it was the side of her garage. She set up a whole cemetery scene along it.

Some of what made her cemetery extra spooky was the old, actual rusty metal fence.

She also had what she thought was part of an old altar in the center. I think it was probably part of an old fireplace.

These white figures blend into the white background perfectly. It looks like they are ghosts emerging from the wall.

Perched on the wall and guarding the cemetery was this dragon skeleton. Looks like he broke free of his chain.

I walked this path many times over the summer. 

You can imagine my surprise when one day this fall I was walking the path and ran into these.

What I didn't realize is that this backyard belongs to the same house as the front yard I just showed you. So you can see that she used all the space she had!

These scarecrows have that demented, falling apart, but somehow looking more alive for it look. Wait till you see them at night.

One of the scarecrows had a little owl friend on his arm.

She had some creepy pumpkins sitting below the scarecrows. 

And inside the fence there were all sorts of little horrors. 

When I first saw this scene, I thought "This is the work of a disturbed mind." Imagine my surprise to meet the perky, friendly lady with a blond ponytail who put this together. I'd imagined a grizzled man with an ax doing the decorating. Maybe that's her husband? Haha. Naw, you just never know to look at people.

This part is kind of cute, though.

For once, this sign makes sense. I normally see the sign next to some happy pumpkin and a little ghost and think "Uh huh."

This last pic wasn't in that same woman's yard. It was taken about a block over. I wanted to show you that a child's playhouse can become a little haunted house. Notice the 1428 address. No, this wasn't taken on Elm Street. ;)

I am looking forward to sharing some night time photos from these same yards. You'll see some other yards too. Not every decoration looks as cool in the daylight as it does at night, but the ones I chose to show here hold up pretty darn well in the day!

Milwaukee Krampusnacht

A couple of nights ago, my mom and I were lucky enough to attend a Krampusnacht event in the Milwaukee area. This is the third year this event has taken place, but this was our first time going. I'm going to guess that a good deal of the people reading this know about Krampus, but if you don't know what Krampusnacht is, it translates to "Krampus Night".

Krampusnacht is a festival that takes place on the 5th of December, like the eve of Saint Nicholas Day. Krampus is the counterpart to St. Nicholas. If you're a good child, St. Nicholas rewards you for that. If you're not, Krampus takes you away in his sack. This is a European festival, think Germanic or Austrian. Although, I have seen some amazing parades in other European countries on YouTube. Italy was really bringing it this year.

Milwaukee is a traditionally German place and therefore a really good fit for a Krampus event. And there's something in addition to the German aspect here that I can't quite put my finger on, something that would make this a welcome event. The Krampusnacht we attended was at the Bavarian Bierhaus.

Here's a view of the beer hall, which as you can see was pretty packed!

You'll see these two characters later. Pretty creative costumes, hey?

This is the bar area, where a lot of creatures were congregating.

People were dressed in Krampus costumes, as angels, as mysterious monsters, and as witches. There were plenty of witches. Some witches were traditional like the lady below, and some were super traditional in the way where the masks looked at least a hundred years old.

After hanging out in the beer hall area and listening to some music, we went outside. Wasn't this the perfect night setting to see a Krampus or two?

There were moments where I felt like I was on the TV show Grimm.

How cool is this festive Krampus? I love how this one is carrying a switch that lights up. I should mention the switches they carry. A person could possibly get swatted with one of those. This wasn't hardcore European Krampus swatting, but it's something to mention because it's part of Krampus behavior.

I thought this one looked like a real party-time Krampus. :)

I loved the Krampus archway that was set up outside. I assume there was a fog machine going, because there was a lot of "Krampus breath" fogging out of the mouth.

Time for the parade to begin! This was really exciting for me, after watching Krampus parades for a few years on YouTube.

These pics are a little blurry on account of some uneven lighting and movement, but I think in some cases that gives a ghostly look to the people.

Now, here is one of those old wooden witch masks I was telling you about.  This witch tried to give me a photo opp, but it was pretty dark. In the end, I added a light sepia tone to this pic. I thought it would be neat to make this look like a blurry old photograph. If I didn't know better, I could believe this pic was taken in 1920 or 1930. It reminds me of the sort of old photo I'd pick up in an antique store. Actually, I would love to find an antique witch pic like this. Hmm... something to look for.

I'm not sure who this elf lady with the switch is. I'm sure she's a somebody out of German folklore, but I'm not familiar with her. Let me know if you have a guess! What's funny about this pic is that it was so dark that I didn't even know the two guys were behind her before lightening it! But it looks like they were aware of me.

These two look scary, but they were super friendly. I thought everyone we ran into at this event was friendly and welcoming.

I'm including this one too, because I'm still getting a kick out of why I'm laughing so hard here. I'd just gotten switched in the face (accidentally or not I'm not sure) and one of those sticks went up my nose a bit. I was just at that level. So, I was already laughing and the taller creature said "Gotcha!" out of what seemed to be his neck and that was just further funny. I can't have actually thought a voice would come out of that little skull up there. :)

This outdoor beer garden seemed like another scene out of Grimm.

There was a bonfire going, which I think is pretty standard for Krampus Night events. At least, from the pics I've seen online of the European festivals, there always seem to be big fires. I have to mention the Italian one I watched footage of again, because someone had lit a good part of the street on fire.

I love this photo, because it looks like some kind of fire creature is emerging from the flames.

And I like this one too, because that person on the side is kind of like "Yo-Ho!" partying around the fire. I was joking that a Krampus with a lot of fur would probably not want to get too close to those sparks.

Just look at those embers! I feel warm again just looking at this. I felt really warm near the fire and when posing next to a Krampus or two for photos. Touching those costumes after they've been near a fire is like cuddling up next to a warm, furry blanket.

This is one of my favorites! This troll-like creature was peeking around the crowd, while sparks flew in front of him.

This is the same Krampus I started the post off with. Doesn't the red light from the fire do something extra for these costumes? I was calling this one my buddy, because it kept appearing and posing. So I had many opportunities to get some photos of it!

Now, this guy seemed a little more dangerous than the others. In part, because of the detailed prosthetics, pointy teeth, light contacts, and other costume details. But the biggest reason he was scary was the way he was carrying himself.

He was skulking around the fire, glancing at people in this menacing way.

This is another shot that was nearly black, but when I lightened it on the computer I got a surprise!

Eventually the devilish Krampus creature stopped circling the fire and walked over to where we were standing. He got up in my face, I got this picture, and then he smooshed my hat over my face!

On the other end of things, St. Nicholas was there along with several angels. One of the angels nicely came over to us while we were standing by the fire and offered us some candy.

You might remember these two from the bar area. You can barely make out my mom in the middle there.

These two were beyond patient with us while we tried to get some clear photos with them. Eventually, the one with the glowing eyes handed my mom his phone and she took this pic on that. He was nice enough to email it to me.

The jaws of those masks open and close, as you can see here. I like this picture a lot, with the way the fire is reflecting on his face. And it gives an impression like a monster ate this man and he's peeking out of the monster's mouth.

The back of their headpieces:

I just learned of Mari Lwyd, this spooky, yet glamorous horse head a day before attending this event! I learned about Mari from Dex and Eve. Mari Lwyd is a Welsh creature that is part of the Wassailing tradition. So this creature would trot on up to a door and after a little back and forth, be let in for some snacks and drinks. I keep hearing that song Hello Mary Lou in my head! Only with "Mari Lwyd" substituted in.

A person inside that sheet is holding the horse skull up on a stick. This ghostly looking creature was quite prancy, bobbing on down the street. If you'd like to learn more about Mari, this video is really worth a watch:

You'll get a peek at an authentic, Welsh Mari Lwyd experience. The man operating the Mari character brings a lot of life to the creature. It moves in a playful, life-like way and is surprisingly endearing. Watching that, I thought it would be fun to operate one of these. It's like being a puppeteer.

So there's our first Krampusnacht! Pretty cool, hey? I know you guys would have loved being there. It was so neat to take part in something I'd only seen videos of in other countries. Hearing big cowbells move down the street, being switched at, having my hat pulled down like I'd seen happen to other girls at these parades. It was just that right level of scary for me.

I don't know if I'd be up for those European (especially Austrian) Krampus parades, because I wouldn't want to get injured. From what I've heard, you're smart to stay out of the way at some of those. A German woman who'd been at these sort of festivals back in the day told me it could get pretty scary. Like so scary, she stayed inside after dark! I think the event we attended got things just right. The creatures and crowd were very inviting, but there was that little bit of danger in the air.

Do any of you have some Krampus parade or Krampus event stories to share? I'd love to hear them!

P.S. ~ I just checked YouTube for videos from the event and someone posted a video of the parade a couple hours ago! So if you'd like to see these creatures in action and get an idea of what I saw, here it is: