Article and Photos By: Scott S. Smith and Sandra Wells
Metro Los Angeles has long been the Halloween center of the universe in large part due to the making of so many horror films and seasonal haunted houses, supplied by the 25,000 sq. ft. Halloween Club that was open 365 days a year, first in Santa Fe Springs starting in 1994, then after a fire 20 years ago it was moved to La Mirada. Alas, this was closed in Feb. 2024 due to rising rent, but the family behind it will continue to sell many of its unique costumes, accessories, and props through their Aahs! gift stores in Buena Park, La Puente, Torrance, and Westwood.
Alas, Ursula’s Costumes in Santa Monica went out of business in July 2024 for inability to pay increasing rent after serving year-round events of all kinds since 1976.
However, Spirit Halloween began opening over 1,500 stores (see photo) across the U.S. and Canada August 1 https://www.nj.com/business/2024/07/spirit-halloween-is-opening-1525-stores-across-the-us-and-canada-this-summer-see-the-full-list.html
Trashy Lingerie
https://trashy.com/collections/costumes on La Cienega near West Hollywood started out supplying strippers, actresses in R/X-rated films, and the Playboy Mansion’s Halloween party. You can find everything you might need for any celebration anytime, from plus-size original costumes and handmade accessories to wigs and wings of all kinds (see photo). It’s official T-shirt reads, “Our fantasy is fulfilling yours.”
The prediction is that dog costumes are going to be big again in 2024 and this list of favorites ranges from Wonder Woman and a Ghostbuster to a lobster and even a US Postal Service mail carrier! https://merakidogs.com/dog-halloween-costumes
Couples seeking special costumes should consider these recommendations, including Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty, gangsters, Addams Family, and, of course, avocado and toast:
https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/fashion/halloween-costumes-for-couples
West Hollywood (where we live) also contributed to the region’s reputation by making Oct. 31 an official city holiday and its annual Halloween Carnaval street parade attracted half a million attendees and participants from all over the world. The pandemic killed this off, though the city held some alternative events. It’s being revived in 2024 and a huge crowd is expected, which means visitors need to plan to get into the area by transit early and not try to park here (our photo is from the informal parade that took place on the sidewalks in 2022 and the link has pictures that provide an idea of how colorful the costumes can get, often designed by those in the movie-TV biz): ttps://www.visitwesthollywood.com/halloween-carnaval/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn9y1BhC2ARIsAG5IY-7Xojw8Uy3t1jz1V6KWIsyOcQ7n5tJ7LPMW323a_YjZnc870B5s7OoaAr25EALw_wcB
Naturally, the theme parks also add to the celebration like nowhere else, such as our prior reports on Universal Studios’ seasonal attractions. Disneyland shut down its Haunted House for a remake and just reopened it. But the well-recognized holiday champion is Knott’s Scary Farm (see photo). It is so popular that we advise reading an article on how to plan one or more visits to take it all in at a reasonable price (including parking): https://www.undercovertourist.com/blog/knotts-scary-farm-survival-guide/
SoCal is full of neighborhoods that get into the spirit by decorating their homes and yards, sometimes winning prizes for their efforts (we featured areas of Burbank as regular award-winners previously https://momsla.com/see-haunted-houses-halloween-decorations-around-los-angeles/. Orange County has many notable examples and last year MiVidaLoca highlighted 11 just in Buena Park (where Knott’s is located):
https://livingmividaloca.com/haunted-houses-halloween-decorations-orange-county/ . Our photo is of a haunted house at 7475 Mohawk Circle and there are other outstanding decorated yards nearby.
Memento Mori
https://mementomori-la.com/ on Wilcox north of Sunset in Hollywood is, as one reviewer remarked, “a unique boutique of the strange and unusual.” It describes its collection as “dark decor, oddities and curiosities, macabre gifts, entomology and taxidermy.” That translates into human skulls from medical experiments, bat skeletons, a game about life after death, a stuffed peacock, majestic deer heads, unusual tarot decks, candles, handmade jewelry, strange puppets, masterful spooky paintings and masks from all over the world (especially in the Día de Los Muertos style), and much more that is also available online (see photo). Some of its items have been featured on TV shows and can be found decorating notable bars, restaurants, and homes. “Our shop embraces a Gothic Church feel with vaulted ceilings and rich mahogany accepts…Witness the wonder and gallery experience with a macabre edge.”