Halloween in Sacramento: The Oak Park Halloween House
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Bubbling bones and ghastly ghouls are just the way to ring in the season of giving for Aimee Phelps and Danell Eschaur.
For the past 13 years, the couple has been behind the Oak Park Halloween house on 33rd Street and 4th Avenue, and for them, scaring is caring.
Their spooky spectacle of a home isn’t just a celebration of Halloween but an artist’s ode to their neighborhood.
It takes about a month to deck out the home with skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, and all things certifiably creepy. They say it’s meant to conjure up friendly spirits.
“The joy (and) the happiness that I get to see on all these kids faces because they get to see magic. They get to go into a different world and be whoever they want to be,” Phelps said. “And that’s why I do it.”
It’s also to pay homage to Oak Park. A postal service skeleton honors the neighborhood’s beloved, late mailman.
“That will always be a main staple no matter what, because he loved it so much,” Phelps said.
The names of neighbors who have passed are imprinted on the sidewalk.
“This neighborhood is like a family. We help raise each other. It’s a village we absolutely love each other,” Phelps said.
Starting new traditions, Phelps added a permanent feature to their corner lot this year. It’s called The Little Oak Park Haunted Art Gallery.
“It’s all recycled jewelry boxes that I got at the thrift store,” Phelps said.
An artist herself, Phelps said the idea is to give and take while spotlighting local artists.
Passersby can contribute art and take art with the request of tagging artists on social media and on Instagram @oakparklittlehauntedartgallery.
In the process, neighborhood children have been contributing to the tiny gallery since it was installed in August. Finger paintings, drawings and painted rocks from neighborhood children have appeared in the gallery, next to stickers, crafts and jewelry from area artists.
“I think it’s awesome,” said Gwen, one of the many visitors passing through the display. “I’ve never seen an idea like this, and I want to go home and make some art and put it in there.”
Starting at 7 pm on Halloween night, the Oak Park Halloween house will treat neighbors to fire dancing performances and music.
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