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Halloween in Almaden 2021

Halloween Almaden 2021Happy Halloween, Almaden!

It is the most spooktacular time of the year! Ghosts, witches, jack-o-lanterns, and of course, mountains of candies. Halloween is here, and Almaden is a funtastic place to soak in some real scares.

This year some of our more ghoulish neighbors are hosting haunted houses that are definitely worth a visit. At David Vengerov’s home in the Montevideo neighborhood, this year’s theme is “Toy Factory”. Don’t forget to peek into the attached trailer at the property. Says David on his Nextdoor post, “the distinctive features of the house will be the “dynamic” scares.” Address: 1487 Montalban Drive.

Daniel Paulazzo of the Almaden Meadows also invites neighbors and Halloween fans to his haunted maze at “Deadmond Ave.” Address: 1394 Redmond Ave.

For Jamie Lee Miller’s family, Halloween is by far their favorite celebration. Miller promises tricks and treats and invites friends and neighbors to their ghostly display having spent “countless weeks on our family home making it a sight to see and experience to have with your friends/ family and kids”. Address: 1104 Allston Way

Beth Swartz of Glenview Serenity promises a fantastic display with some pop-up scares, skeletons and more! “This year we will have candy in individual bags and pop-up scares that kids can activate themselves. Please drop by our place on Halloween – 6pm – 9pm (or until the candy runs out!)” she says. Located on Corvallis Drive between Elwood and Glenview in Almaden.

For more locations of haunted houses and a quick look at streets to hit for candies and scares, visit: https://nextdoor.com/treat_map/?is=nav_bar

Halloween 2020 in Almaden Valley

Halloween 2020 in Almaden Valley Happy Halloween, Almaden residents! Even with a very challenging year with the pandemic, I am happy and excited to see that the celebratory spirit among our neighbors at Almaden is undaunted. Here’s how Halloween 2020 in Almaden Valley is being celebrated, with a spooky twist to the story.

Enthusiastic residents from various neighborhoods of Almaden are buzzing with ideas about how to enjoy Halloween safely, following all social distancing norms and Santa Clara County health guidelines (see country health guidelines for Halloween and Diá de los Muertos here: www.sccgov.org/cv19halloween). Simon Aslanpour, a resident of the Almaden Mockingbird neighborhood says in his Nextdoor post, “We are not going to take away the tradition of trick or treating in the neighborhood this year because of this pandemic. We will do it safely and follow the guidelines of Santa Clara county.”

Others like Michael Harding of Almaden Williams will have a “candy chute and skeleton arms for 6ft of social distance and extra Halloween fun” between 6 and 8 pm tonight. In the Glenview Serenity neighborhood, Michelle Watanabe says, “The ‘Disney House’ on Bret Harte Drive near Graystone Elementary School will be open as well. We will have one direction foot traffic, social distancing, masks and sanitized candy bags for the kids to pick up. The theme this year is Tangled so nothing scary for the little ones.” Many other residents are also offering bagged candy.

One of the most popular haunted house displays in Almaden attracting huge crowds has been the Haunted Graveyard on Little Falls Drive. Don McNally, who has been painstakingly hosting this for years, writes that he “did not want to ‘cancel’ the Halloween spirit, especially given these stressful times.” To adhere to social distancing norms, he will have an all projection/hologram display this year, “with the same intent to delight 5-year-old’s and terrify ‘kids’ over 35!”

The other street attracting huge crowds normally is Chateau Drive, which will be a bit low key this year. Janice LaVelle, writes of how she started her scary “haunted front yard” tradition 30 years ago for their own children. “The spirit soon caught quickly on Chateau, making our street the ‘BOO’ street for decades,” she writes. Micki Karrer, another resident of Chateau Drive, has been serving beverages to adult trick-or-treaters for years. This year, however, they are staying away from displays to keep everyone safe.

For those of you who intend to drive through Almaden’s neighborhoods tonight, there will still be jack-o-lantern displays and haunted yard decors to admire. Check out the Nextdoor treat map for Almaden Halloween 2020 here: https://nextdoor.com/treat_map/ for exact locations.

Halloween in Almaden Valley

Halloween in Almaden ValleyIt’s time again for Halloween in Almaden Valley! Carving Jack-o-lanterns, turning your yard into a graveyard, trick-or-treating with kids, enjoying a costume party – whichever way you choose to celebrate, it is time to dress in your spookiest best and hop out to stir the cauldrons. And Almaden Valley is certainly a spooky place to be on Halloween night! Here are some fun neighborhoods to stroll around during Halloween in Almaden Valley.

Neighborhoods with Haunted Houses
Many residents are hosting haunted houses with fabulous displays of the spooky, gory and the macabre. You can visit haunted houses on Calcatera Drive, Azalea Drive, Shearwater Drive, Lillian Way, Medallion Drive, Redmond Avenue, Monteval Lane, Via Del Los Grande, and last but not least, at the end of Little Falls Drive. This last one is particularly spectacular and not to be missed. Expect to find lots of people thronging the street, but it is worth braving the crowds.

Allergy-free Treats
This year several residents are passing out allergy-free treats so that all kids can enjoy Halloween. They can be found on Hampton Drive, Casual Way, Portswood Drive, Crimson Drive, Burchell Avenue, Franciscan Way, Montalban Drive and Montellano Drive. For accurate addresses, check the Almaden area treat map on Nextdoor.com.

Happy trick-or-treating, and have a great Halloween!

Almaden Halloween Haunts

Pumpkin patches, haunted houses, costume parties and great neighborhoods for trick-or-treating. It’s Halloween, and Almaden Valley is abuzz with festive spirit. Here’s what is haunting the neighborhoods this week.

Castillero’s Cobra Crypt: This year, Almaden’s Castillero Middle School’s Drama Department has started a new Halloween tradition. It’s hosting the “Cobra Crypt”, a week-long Halloween fest that includes a pumpkin patch, haunted house, carnival, games and a variety of activities. The fest is every day from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm till October 31st. Tickets are $5. This is Castillero Drama’s biggest fundraiser, and by all neighborhood accounts, not to be missed.

Halloween Britannia Arms AlmadenThe Simpson’s Halloween at the Britannia Arms: On October 30th, at 7:30 pm at the Britannia Arms, you can enjoy a Simpson’s themed Halloween event. There will be a costume contest, Simpson’s trivia, special food and drinks, and more.

Neighborhood trick-or-treats: Almaden Valley boasts some of the best trick or treating neighborhoods in San Jose. Attractive areas include Chateau Drive and the Country Club neighborhood, the Pierce Ranch neighborhood, and the Graystone neighborhood, among others. The biggest attraction might be at Little Falls Drive in the Country Club neighborhood, which draws huge crowds for the spooky haunted house display at the end of the street. Venturing there is well worth it, and give yourselves ample time to park and stroll through the streets.

Happy Halloween!

An Almaden Valley Halloween: In Search of the Perfect Scare

Almaden Valley HalloweenAn Almaden Valley Halloween … Are pumpkin patches or trick or treating down the block during Halloween too tame for you? If you have a taste for the gothic, maybe a trip to a haunted house in search of ghosts is just the thing for you.

In the South Bay, near Almaden Valley, the most legendary and elaborate haunted house attraction is, without a doubt, the Winchester Mystery House. Up until Halloween night, visitors can enjoy Candlelight tours through 110 rooms of the massive estate. Tickets are available online or at the door. http://winchestermysteryhouse.com/

A bit closer to home, there are a number of other chilling attractions certain to give you a scare, but you may want to check out their websites before taking small children:

⇒ The Bernal Scream: Westfield Oakridge mall http://www.thebernalscream.com/

⇒ Dead Time Dreams Haunted Attractions: 2501 Tully Rd. at East Capitol Expressway http://www.deadtimedreams.com/

⇒ Rebel Yell: 1577 Rebel Way, San Jose http://www.rebelyell.info/rebelyell.html

⇒ World’s Largest Haunted House: County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Rd., San Jose http://www.worldslargesthauntedhouse.com/

When you’ve had your fill of haunted houses and are ready to look for the real thing, give me a call!

Happy haunting!

6th Annual Almaden Harvest Festival & Holiday Boutique

Bring the entire family for a day of fun at the 6th Annual / 2012 Almaden Harvest Festival & Holiday Boutique. Children will enjoy picking from the pumpkin patch, getting spooked in the scream-inducing Haunted House, making crafts, playing games, and being entertained with a holiday story time and puppet show.

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Almaden Community Center’s Harvest Festival and Holiday Boutique

If you are looking for a fun event with holiday shopping possibilities, mark your calendar for the Almaden Community Center’s 5th Annual Harvest Festival and Holiday Boutique on October 22nd. The fun starts at 11am, with haunted houses, costume parades, a holiday boutique and more! For more information contact the Almaden Community Center.

5th Annual / 2011 Almaden Harvest Festival & Holiday Boutique

Photo: Almaden Harvest Festival

Photo by Kevin Stanchfield

Bring the entire family for a day of fun at the 5th Annual / 2011 Almaden Harvest Festival & Holiday Boutique.

Children will enjoy picking from the pumpkin patch, getting spooked in the scream-inducing Haunted House, making crafts, playing games, and being entertained with a holiday story time and puppet show.

The story time and puppet show are in the library at 11:30am, and repeated at 2:30pm. Children are invited to dress up in creative outfits and Halloween costumes.

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Harvest Festival – UPDATED 2022

The Almaden Community Center is holding their fourth annual Harvest Festival. There will be food, a crafts fair, a pumpkin patch, story time and haunted houses. For more information, see http://www.sjlibrary.org/about/locations/almaden/events.htm. [EVENT IS CLOSED]

4th Annual / 2010 Harvest Festival in Almaden Valley – UPDATED 2022

photo: pumpkin in fall leaves

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography

Bring the entire family to the 4th Annual / 2010 Harvest Festival in Almaden Valley. There’s something for everyone.

The festival will feature arts and crafts from local artists, pumpkin patch, haunted houses (for kids and teens), games, craft-making, story time and puppet show, raffle prizes, and delicious food. Children are invited to wear Halloween costumes.

Save the date for this fun event that the whole family will enjoy. Harvest Festival is at the Almaden Community Center on Saturday, October 23, 2010, from 11am to 4pm. General admission and parking are free. [EVENT IS CLOSED]