We slowly drive down the brightly decorated street in the Town of Hauntoween. We gently come to a stop near a home awash in neon “lawn” decorations, a man standing out front. The man appears just as garish as the house behind him; his Hawaiian shirt flaps around him, a floppy hat and sunglasses adorn his head, and an inflatable flamingo inner tube wraps around his cargo-draped legs. This caricature, seemingly straight out of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, waves and asks us (from behind his mask, of course) if we could tell him what was wrong with “this picture.” I poke my head out of the car window slightly to check the man’s footwear, but he stops me with: “It’s that I don’t have a cocktail in my hand!” I laugh and pull my head back inside the car as he tips his basket-on-a-pole over the sunroof, showering candy down on us.

Created by Experiential Supply Co (IT Experience: Chapter Two), Hauntoween is a roughly 25-minute, large-scale drive-thru event that enables families to get safely out of the house to celebrate Halloween. Unlike Urban Legends, which aims to scare, Hauntoween is a whimsical and magical journey through a more traditional Halloween setting – more akin to Freeform’s Halloween Road. Simulating pumpkin-picking and trick-or-treating, the drive-thru is safe and excellently done. Instead of the repetitive park-and-watch style of Urban Legends, Hauntoween utilizes a single-file and continuous line of cars that winds its way through the corner of an AMC parking lot in Woodland Hills, CA. Making excellent use of the space, Hauntoween files cars through several decorative tunnels; Party City Ln, which is aligned with inflatable decorations; a larger-than-life skeleton dance party; an extensive pumpkin patch dotted with adorable scenes; and the tour de force line of festive house fronts making up the trick-or-treating finale.

Experiential Supply Co has absolutely succeeded in bringing a sense of wonder to guests as they drive through the impressive sets and tableaus of Hauntoween. While the live actors are mostly saved for the trick-or-treating finale, there is always something for attendees to look at and marvel over: dancing skeletons on the roof, ghosts blowing in the trees, flickering lights, and smiling Jack-o-Lantern faces… The list of eye candy goes on. Guests are also encouraged to keep their windows down for the duration so they can hear the musical selections that vary with each set piece – each composition cheerful and uplifting. While it is clear that the experience has been sponsored by a handful of companies – guests will see nods to What We Do in Shadows, The Witches, and Butterfinger – being sponsored by spooky entertainment and candy makes a whole lot of sense.

Speaking of candy… One of the highlights (and likely any child’s favorite part) of Hauntoween is the 2-street, 10-12 house facades that make up the Town of Hauntoween, which serves as the location for a bright and delightful alternative to trick-or-treating. Each of the 10-12 houses guests drive by vary in theming and décor – one house is adorned with aliens, while another looks like a neon RV home (where the flamingo man lived), and yet another can be described as Christmas horror – and each impresses with its distinct style. Roughly half of the houses have cheery live actors out front, most offering oodles of candy via basket-on-a-pole method, and at the least offering a wave and a “Happy Halloween!” None of the actors get close to the cars, and none are trying to scare patrons.

Another awesome inclusion to Hauntoween is the pumpkin patch. Guests will drive through piles upon piles of pumpkins stacked on hay bales before coming to the Pun’kin Patch for “picking.” Here, each car is given one medium-sized pumpkin by a live actor (masked and wearing gloves) to take home. One pumpkin is included with each Hauntoween ticket, with additional pumpkins available for purchase on-site. I sat for the remainder of the event, happily clutching my pumpkin on my lap. This is a wonderful addition that elevates Hauntoween above any other trick-or-treating event, and further immerses audiences in the spirit of Halloween.

Multiple companies are doing what they can to keep the Halloween spirit alive in person, and Hauntoween is doing an admirable job. They are the best event for families looking to experience Halloween from the safety of their car. The bright, whimsical décor brings to mind a charming and folksy Halloween season, which couldn’t be more welcome is this bizarre time we’re living in. The inclusion of traditions like pumpkin-picking and trick-or-treating is absolutely brilliant and will delight kids of all ages. This is Hauntoween!

Find more information and buy tickets at Hauntoween‘s website HERE. For more information on Experiential Supply Co, visit their website, Facebook and Instagram. Check out our Event Guide for more Halloween and horror events throughout the year.

All photography by Lacey Rae and Eric Boguslavsky.

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