Tag: halloween

Last year the Spirit Halloween store was in the old Carpet Barn. This year that's a little impossible, so they've moved to the old Gottschalk's building in the Carson Mall. It seems like it's altogether too early to be thinking about Halloween, but it guess it is just two months away. Next week stores will start putting up Christmas decorations, so let's get Halloween out of the way now, eh?

Video of trick or treating on the west side of Carson Friday night.

Tomorrow night is Halloween, and nearly all the decorations are up on the houses on the west side. The Governor's Mansion, as usual, looks just like Christmas but with orange lights. Several of the other houses get more creative with more subdued lighting. The graveyard at the Colcord House is especially inventive and colorful.

Governor's Mansion

Colcord House

Pirate Booty

I mentioned this six months ago, but it's good to have a reminder. And the Nevada Appeal reminds us today: Halloween in Carson City will be celebrated on Friday, October 30th this year. This is to make room for the Nevada Day parade and celebrations on Saturday, the 31st.

It used to be this way every year, if you remember. But about 10 years ago the legislature decided to make Nevada Day a three-day weekend every year, instead of always having the parade and holiday on the 31st. So now it's only the rare years when the 31st falls on a Saturday that we go back to the old ways. Like this year! So see you out there on the 30th. And if you're looking for somewhere to trick or treat, I always recommend Mountain Street near the Governor's Mansion. Click here to see why.

Anyone know, though, if the Carson Valley is following suit? In the old days Minden and Gardnerville held their trick-or-treating on the 30th as well just because they had close ties to Carson City. But what's happening this year? Best to have candy ready both nights, I guess.

And yes, this means you can go to Reno on the 31st and collect two nights worth of candy. W00t!

Decorating your house for Halloween is becoming almost as big a thing as decorating for Christmas. Especially around the west side of Carson, where every year the houses try to outdo each other in the most elaborate ways they can transform their yard into a Halloween experience.

And with this rising trend in emphasizing Halloween, comes people trying to capitalize on it. Local stores of course start selling Halloween decorations and costumes in August, but by far the largest seller of Halloween supplies seems to be Spirit Halloween and what's most interesting about them is their model. Every fall they move into abandoned retail spaces all over the country. Empty big box stores, warehouses, malls where a department store moved out, they come in and bring life back to the empty spaces. For two months at least.

Now in Carson City these days they have their run of the town just about when it comes to empty retail spaces. There's the old Kmart at the north end of town, there's the abandoned place where Sportsman's Warehouse was supposed to go, there's the old Gottschalk's and the old Mervyn's. But the storefront where Spirit decided to set up this year is the old Carpet Barn on South Carson.

We stopped by yesterday; here are some photos of the displays in the store.

Back in the "old days" (the 90s), Halloween in Carson City was always a weird thing. Because Nevada Day was celebrated on October 31 every year back then, Halloween was always moved to October 30 so the two holidays didn't collide. Then about 10 years ago the legislature decided to shuffle the holidays around, placing Nevada Day on the last Saturday of October and creating a three-day weekend. This got Nevada Day out of the way so that Halloween could go back to being on the 31st again, like the rest of the country.

But what happens when the last Saturday in October just happens to be the 31st? That's a problem we're running into for the first time in the year 2009. So the Board of Supervisors has looked into it and decided that Halloween should be moved back to the 30th, just for this one year only. So mark your calendars now so you don't forget.

It was another successful Halloween on the west side of Carson City. We hit all the same houses and saw all the same decorations, but even though things change little from year to year there is a refreshing familiarity to it all. Some of the houses on the west side really go all out with the decorations, and it makes the whole thing much more fun than just trick or treating in an ordinary neighborhood.

One thing we noticed, though, is that the Governor's Mansion is a lot less exciting now that Jim Gibbons is in office. The governor was there, handing out candy and posing for photographs, just like Kenny Guinn used to do. But the whole atmosphere around the mansion was subdued. There use to be music, and dancing, and elaborate decorations, and a feeling like this was really something special. Now there's just as many people there, but the decorations are lackluster, there's no music so it's quiet, and the place just feels like the life is gone from it. It was like that last year too, Gibbons' first Halloween in the mansion, and this year was even more pronounced. The family and staff just don't put as much into Halloween as the Guinns used to, and the experience suffers for it.

Here's some video of this year's decorations.

The Nevada Appeal has a guide to some of the upcoming Halloween/Nevada Day events coming up over the couple of weeks. They also have a look at Halloween night, where First Lady Dawn Gibbons will be handing out candy at the Governor's Mansion, even though she and the governor are in the middle of divorce proceedings.

Plus the Travel Nevada blog brings this video of last year's Nevada Day parade.

It's time to start getting excited for Halloween! Many of the houses on Carson City's west side, including the "hot spot" along Mountain Street between Musser and Caroline, have put up their decorations already. Less than two weeks now until the big day!

Once again we had a blast trick-or-treating in Carson City, in the historic district surrounding the Governor's Mansion. My mother-in-law said it was too crowded for her, but I like going down there, with the endless throngs of people parading up and down Mountain Street. The decorations are the best you're going to find anywhere in town, the Governor's Mansion itself is all lit up, and there's a party atmosphere across the whole neighborhood. Going trick-or-treating anywhere else would just seem too boring and lifeless.

So sit back and enjoy this photo journey through Halloween 2007, West Side style.

The former Mt Cyanide Hospital was transformed this year into the School For Ghouls.

A merry bunch of trick-or-treaters.

The Governor's Mansion is the heart of the festivities. It always attracts the biggest crowds, most of them there to trick-or-treat with the actual Governor. There is also live music playing to entertain the throngs, and keep the atmosphere lively.

This is Governor Gibbons' first year in the mansion, and he stood on the porch taking pictures just like Governor Kenny used to do. But I noticed the line to meet him was a lot smaller this year than it had been in the past. Sucks to have low approval ratings.

The band played on.

Dave Morgan was spotted, filming video to be used on NewsCarsonCity.com.

I love the colors you get at Halloween. Everything is purple and yellow and green and orange.

Watch for killer clowns dropping from trees.

This mad scientist was experimenting on his latest "patient".

Even the dogs got into the Halloween spirit.

They're not bad guys, they just want to roast some marshmallows.

Jack Skellington, all eight feet of him, made a brief appearance.

This band of pirates never got to enjoy their treasure.

Gateway to Hell? Certainly, sir. Right through here.

To see all of my Halloween pictures (including some of the kids) just follow this link to Flickr.