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THOMPSONS "Yard of Terror"
Hainesport, NJ |
 The
traditions of Halloween have fluctuated through the years, and
societies have even tried to ban the celebration, the ban sometimes
lasting for years but in the end, it seems that they just can’t
kill the beast. In the manner of Jason Voorhees, the holiday just
keeps coming back. It has changed dates, it has changed names,
but looking at sales figures, it just keeps getting stronger.
In the past we have received emails, much to our dismay, that
have asked us “When are you going to post Halloween Horror
Nights? No one cares about these smaller haunts.” While
there may be some of you reading this who echo that sentiment,
for the true fan of the genre, nothing can be further from the
truth.
Universal may put on one of the best “productions”
out there to celebrate Halloween, they have the funds and the
talent to put together an amazing event of big screen proportions…
and they SHOULD be able to, it’s what they do. But at the
core of it all, we would not have Knott’s Scary Farm, Howl-O-Scream,
or Halloween Horror Nights if it didn’t all start in the
hearts of the “haunters.” It is the passion and spirit
of these people that took root and was embellished by the great
theme parks, it was art imitating life, not life imitating art.
So this said, it is now that we return to our most basic of roots,
the yard haunt. 
Every neighborhood has the “kook” that goes all out….
They are out there hammering away in early September, building
coffins out of Texture 111. They are standing outside the local
Halloween shop on November 1st every year, anticipating the sale
like a 5 year old waiting for Santa. Their neighbors peer from
windows as these happy haunters litter their yards with tombstones,
perhaps looking for their own name in the styrofoam marble. Little
kids stop at the edge of the driveway wondering if they should
approach the door, and with parental encouragement slowly make
their way up the walk… older kids, survivors of years past
look around for the owner of this mini attraction, where will
it be this year? Will he pop out of the coffin, or just answer
the door with a hatchet hanging from his skull? These are OUR
people, the ones who make not a dime, but live to make an experience
for themselves and for anyone that crosses their path on October
31st, and for that, we thank you. 
(Editors Note…. We’d also like to point out, one more
great thing about the yard haunt…. We have plenty of set
up time to take the best pictures… hard to do in the middle
of a crowded corn field or theme park.)
The first yard haunt we were happy to cover, was that of Dean
& Kim. Not content with a mere Jack-o-Lantern on the front
porch, decorating the interior as well as the exterior of their
Hainesport NJ home has become a yearly tradition that just keeps
growing and growing… they have been decorating their yard
and house more and more lavishly for as long as they can remember,
for at least the last 10 years. Visits to the house at any time
can lead to show and tell of the latest and greatest find, as
Kim never stops looking, combing yard sales and flea markets year
round for the next great prop….and one can just see the
gleam in Kim’s eye as she ponders where it will go….
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