Tags Posts tagged with "Halloween"

Halloween

'Rest in Peace'

Reviewed By Melissa Arnold

No matter how old you are, there’s something fun about celebrating all things weird and spooky on Halloween. To get into the spirit with your family, consider Rest in Peace (Scoot Comics), an adorable rhyming picture book from debut author Tyler Ham. 

‘Rest in Peace’

The story centers around Ghoul who just wants to do is go to sleep after a long Halloween but his monster pals  — Dracula, the Werewolf, the Mummy, Frankenstein’s Monster and the Blob — want to keep the party going.  

Raised in California, Ham was not one for horror, but he loved Halloween and “slightly spooky” entertainment. Now a father of two, Ham has embraced that lighthearted spookiness with a cast of funny monsters and a positive message of friendship that even the youngest kids can enjoy. 

Tell me about your childhood. I assume that you loved horror movies.

I was a very timid child, but I loved Halloween, so “spooky” has always been my go-to genre. It’s funny how much I love horror movies now, because when I was a kid, they scared the heck out of me! I wanted nothing to do with it. But at the same time, I always loved Halloween and mildly spooky things. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video was about as far as I could go.

I read something in a book once about the array of emotions we can experience in life that really stuck with me. Basically, you can feel happy, sad, excited in the real world, but those emotions typically come from a place of safety. On the other hand, when you’re scared, it’s because you don’t feel safe. That’s not a feeling that you want. But when you watch a scary movie, you can tap into the experience of being scared in a safe way, and there’s something fun about that.

So did you do a lot of writing in that ‘spooky’ genre as a kid?

I was a creative kid, though more artistic – more into drawing, painting, papier mache, that sort of thing – but never writing. 

I wasn’t a great student.  I did the work but didn’t particularly enjoy it. And I didn’t like English class, either. But in high school, I had two really great English teachers who actually loved my writing assignments. They said I was a good storyteller and would even read my stuff in front of the class. 

When I graduated, I went to film school at California University of Monterey Bay wanting to direct, and the same thing happened. I wasn’t interested in the writing aspect, but was often praised in classes for my screenwriting so it was clearly an ability I had.

After college, I moved back home with my parents and was looking for work. My mom met someone at a charity event who had just opened a new school for 3-D art. I was always curious about that, but didn’t know how to begin learning about it. And then this opportunity came along. I took a tour and enrolled for the next semester, which was only six days away. That experience ultimately took me into the visual effects industry.  I spent about 16 years working in the digital effects industry as a 3-D artist for film studios, and then I switched over to the toys and collectibles industry. Writing was something I did for fun.

When did you start thinking about writing a children’s book?

My oldest daughter was one of those babies that just wouldn’t go to bed. She loved to be read to, so we would sit in our chair and read book after book. Over time, I learned that while some kids’ books are great, others are honestly just bad. I knew I wasn’t going to write anything legendary, but I figured I could at least do better than some of the books I’d seen.

So one night, I put my daughter to bed and went into my office. I knew I wanted to write about Halloween, since it’s my favorite holiday and it’s a fun time for kids, and I knew I wanted to have different kinds of monsters. As I wrote, I’d read it to myself and make sure the rhymes felt natural and not clunky. 

Did you pursue traditional publishing or self-publishing? What was the process like?

The first draft was actually completed nine years ago. I shopped it around, but no one was biting. I’d get discouraged and leave it for a while, rewrite parts and try again. Eventually I was working for a publishing company in product development, and they would occasionally have employee submissions. The woman who was reading the manuscripts contacted me and said that while my book wasn’t the right fit for our company, it was really good, and she invited me to join a writing group. She was my first mentor, and the book went through many revisions until it was really polished.

Ultimately, a friend of mine wrote a comic book, and his company was starting a children’s book division. I submitted my original Halloween story, along with ideas for other holiday concepts featuring this cast of monsters, like Valentine’s Day and the Fourth of July. They liked the ideas and agreed to publish me.

Do you relate to Ghoul, the main character of ‘Rest in Peace’?

Yeah! It doesn’t make me look great, but I share a little bit of that lighthearted grumpiness — my kids tease me and say “Hey, you’re grumpy like Ghoul is!” But he has good intentions, just like I do.

What was it like seeing the finished product after all those years?

It was just surreal getting those first copies of the book, especially after nine years of work. This story was meant for my first daughter, and it took so long that now I’m reading it to my second daughter’s kindergarten class. She wasn’t even in the picture when this all began!

How did you find the illustrator, Firulas Ilustra? 

I found Sâmara, who along with her illustration partner Thaís form Firulas Ilustra, on the social media platform reddit. She lives in Brazil — she had some pictures up and I really liked her style. I could tell right away that she really understood what I was envisioning and connected to the idea. 

Do you have plans for future books?

I have plans to publish several holiday-themed books with this cast of monsters! The next book in the series, The Yule Ghoul (available now!) continues the story of Rest In Peace, and has the Ghoul throwing his first Christmas party! He is very excited but is afraid none of his monster friends will come. The follow up Valentine’s day book is written, and a few more are in various stages of completion. 

What’s the target age group for ‘Rest in Peace’?

It’s interesting — originally the target age was 3 to 7. But then I read it to my daughter’s 5th grade class and they really loved it. The publisher also suggested that there are 9- and 10-year-olds that would get a kick out of it as well.

Is there a message you hope kids take away from reading this?

Ghoul has this difficulty where he gets so frustrated with his friends being in his space after a long Halloween, but they really just want to spend more time [with him]. It’s about accepting people into your life and being patient with them, even when they do things that you don’t understand. All of our friends have their own little quirks. And I also hope that people see that monsters can be fun!

‘Rest in Peace’ is available now through your favorite online booksellers. Follow Tyler Ham at his official website, www.tylerham.com.

Take part in the annual Costumed Dog Parade on East Main Street on Oct. 21. File photo by Bob Savage

By Heidi Sutton

Looking for something fun to do with the family this weekend? Then head down to the Village of Port Jefferson as it transforms into the annual Oktober Harvest Fest on Oct. 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year the event will be sponsored by the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce and the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District in cooperation with the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson. The two-day festival will feature a pumpkin decorating contest, a cherry pie eating contest, a pumpkin harvest maze and patch (fee), a self-guided art walk, cornhole games, a scarecrow meet and greet, strolling musicians, a pirate scavenger hunt (fee), horse and wagon rides (fee), ten-foot Tall Walkers, a scarecrow walk, a harvest photo op and much more.

Barbara Ransome, Director of Operations at the Port Jefferson Chamber, is looking forward to seeing the fun unfold. 

“There will be events throughout the whole village so its very walkable, very accessible and very family friendly. You can park your car and choose from a large selection of activities,” she said.

Highlights this year include the annual Halloween costumed dog parade sponsored by Fetch Doggy Boutique along East Main Street on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., and a village-wide Chowder Crawl on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. According to Ransome, in the case of torrential rain, the parade and Chowder Crawl will be pushed to Sunday.

This year many of the businesses in the village will host activities in front of or in their shops. Fall Fun kids crafts will be offered at Kilwins, a B&B Paranormal Investigations Tour sign up sheet will be at the Port Jeff Brewing Company (fee), and Oktober Fest Tastings will be offered at Port Jeff Liquor, Whiskey Barrel, Spycoast and Pindar for adults, just to name a few. For a full schedule of events, visit www.portjeffchamber.com.

Up next in the Village is the Santa Parade on Nov. 26, the Festival of Trees at the Port Jefferson Village Center from Dec. 1 to Jan. 2 and the 27th annual Charles Dickens Festival on Dec. 2 and 3. For more information, call 631-473-1414.

This event has been cancelled due to the weather.

The Town of Smithtown Recreation Department will host the annual Ghosts and Goblins Day event on Saturday, October 21 from 10 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. The event will take place at Brady Park, located at Maple Avenue in Smithtown. Ghosts and Goblins Day will feature a variety of fun entertainment for the whole family to enjoy, including pony rides, music, games, prizes, and a balloon artist. Costumes are encouraged. Admission for the festivities is free of charge.

“This is a spectacular event for the whole family. I look forward to bringing my grandkids to Ghosts & Goblins day every year. Our Recreation Department goes above and beyond to put together a fall day of family-oriented Halloween themed activities. I’d highly recommend anyone with younger kids, ages 5-8, mark your calendars to partake in this memorable annual event,” said Supervisor Ed Wehrheim.

Families attending the festivities are welcome to dress up in Halloween costumes. In addition to all the activities planned, donations of non-perishable food items will be accepted for the Smithtown Food Pantry. All donors will receive a raffle ticket for the prize raffle (must be present to win).

For more information on Ghosts and Goblins Day, contact the Recreation Department at 631-360-7644.

By Julianne Mosher

Theatre Three was brimming with excitement last Saturday morning as families with young children came to celebrate the spookiest season with the return of a local favorite, A Kooky Spooky Halloween. 

Written by Jeffrey Sanzel and Steve McCoy, it tells the story of a kind ghost named Abner Perkins (Steven Uihlein) who has just graduated from Haunting High School and has been assigned to be the spooksperson for Ma Aberdeen’s Boarding House (known for being the most haunted house in Harrison Corner USA and for having the best toast!) as its last ghost has retired. Along with his classmates, he’s given his diploma and his medallion of invisibility, and is sent off to work. 

While at the boarding house gearing up for his first shift, Abner tells his best friend, a witch named Lavinda (Cassidy Rose O’Brien), his deepest, darkest secret – he’s afraid of the dark and he’s not sure how he’ll be able to haunt Ma Aberdeen and her guests. Luckily, Lavinda is a great friend, and she hands him a nightlight and a helping hand to help boost his confidence. 

But lurking around the corner is one of Abner’s classmates, a fellow ghost named Dora Pike (Josie McSwane) who is jealous that Abner was assigned the boarding housed that she so desperately wanted to haunt. Acting like a bit of a bully, she steals his nightlight, his medallion (that he needs for his hauntings!) and rushes off. 

Luckily, Ma Aberdeen (Ginger Dalton) and her boarders, the Petersons — Paul (Liam Marsigliano), Penelope (Gina Lardi) and their son Pip (Sean Amato) — and Kit Garret (Julia Albino), a girl who “just came from a small town to a big city with a suitcase in her hand and hope in her heart,” are ready to help Abner get his medallion back and undo a spell the spiteful Dora Pike put on the boarders, despite being afraid of him at first. 

Let the shenanigans ensue. For a full hour, with a 15-minute intermission, we watch the story unfold while learning more about Abner and all his new friends. 

With colorful costumes and catchy songs, (the one about toast will be stuck in your head for days), this production directed by Jeffrey Sanzel is an adorably perfect way to start the Halloween season. Kids of all ages will love the silly personalities on stage, and parents will appreciate the “punny” jokes that are sprinkled throughout acts one and two. 

But not only does it provide big smiles and a good laugh, the message of friendship and acceptance is something every family will enjoy the holiday. Costumes are encouraged for audience members and the entire cast waits in the lobby on your way out for a keepsake photo.

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents A Kooky Spooky Halloween through Oct. 21. Children’s theater continues with Barnaby Saves Christmas from Nov. 18 to Dec. 30 and Jack and the Beanstalk from Jan. 20 to Feb. 3. All seats are $12. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

By Kimberly Brown

Get ready to be enchanted by the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, an annual family tradition on Long Island showcasing thousands of creatively carved pumpkins crafted by Blaze’s skilled team of carving artisans. From September 22 to November 5, this family-friendly Halloween experience will take place along an easily walkable half-mile loop at Long Island’s historic 19th-century village, the Old Bethpage Village Restoration. 

As the county’s largest Halloween event, Blaze has successfully attracted tens of thousands of visitors since its opening in September. Playing a crucial part in honoring Long Island’s history through the exhibition is Michael Natiello, the Creative Director, who has been showcased on HGTV, the TODAY show, and numerous national broadcasts.

“The exhibits are very photogenic, highly artistic, and of course extremely relevant for the fall season,” said  Natiello. “Our artisans work very hard to create magnificent sculptural installations, carved and built right on the Old Bethpage Restoration property. In addition to the initial 7,000 jack o’lanterns, over 800 new pumpkins are carved and added to the experience each week, some taking up to four hours each to design and carve!”   

Blaze’s latest 2023 displays are sure to impress many, as they celebrate the cultural heritage of Long Island. The exhibition will showcase pumpkin portraits of beloved local icons like Billy Joel and Joan Jett, an enchanting “Bones Beach” tribute to Jones Beach complete with pumpkin deep-sea divers, a colossal octopus, a majestic humpback whale, and many other marine creatures as well as the Long Island Lighthouse and an array of other captivating attractions!

“What sets Blaze apart from other local Halloween-themed experiences is that parents can feel comfortable knowing it’s family-friendly, safe, and a gorgeous feast for the eyes!” said Rob Schweitzer, Historic Hudson Valley Vice President for Communications & Commerce. “Steeped in Long Island culture and history, we design our event so all ages can make memories along our candlelit, easily walkable pathway.”

This year includes live, nightly pumpkin carving by Blaze’s expert team of pumpkin carving artisans, the Blaze Boo-tique featuring seasonal gifts and fun merchandise, and Café Blaze, an on-site café featuring fall treats, pumpkin beer, and wine. Proceeds from ticket purchases support the preservation of Old Bethpage Village Restoration and the educational programming of Historic Hudson Valley.

Blaze has limited capacity and all admissions are by advance purchase timed ticket or FLEX anytime ticket. No tickets are sold on-site, and the event is held rain or shine. Online tickets start at $29 for adults and $19 for children 3-17 and are free for children 2 and under. For tickets and event dates, visit www.pumpkinblaze.org.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration is located at 1303 Round Swamp Road in Old Bethpage.

For more information, call 516-572-8409.

 

Mount Sinai’s student government members featured the 12th edition of their “Safe Trick or Treat” celebration on Saturday, Oct. 29, drawing over 1,100 trick-or-treaters, according to student government faculty advisor Roger Cardo. 

Admission was free, although donations were welcomed to cover the cost of all the candy and refreshments. 

Non-perishable food items were collected to benefit local food kitchens. The students set up the night before and were in at 7 a.m. to finish setting up more than a dozen rooms, which included the Haunted Hallway, Best Buddies, the Ocean Bowl and the Balloon Room, to name a few. 

Mr. Cardo credited the large turnout to word of mouth, the fliers that were circulated at the middle school, along with the efforts of more than 30 student government members, and seniors Destina Erden, Amanda Audia, Kate Rubino and Amr Ali. Fun was had by all. 

— Photos by Bill Landon

COVEN SIGHTING

Philip Doesschate captured this rare sighting of a coven of witches making a quick getaway on paddleboards and kayaks in Stony Brook Harbor on Oct. 29 after they misplaced their brooms. The well-received event was actually Stony Brook Harbor Kayak and Paddleboard Rentals’ first annual Witches Sunset Paddle in celebration of Halloween.

Send your Photo of the Week to [email protected]

 

Photo from Family Features

Costumes and candy make Halloween a highly anticipated event for children and adults alike, but the holiday can be particularly spooky for pets. Some of the same things that bring humans joy on All Hallows Eve can lead to poisoning, stress or anxiety, which may cause four-legged family members to run away or react aggressively.

To help ensure Halloween is fun for every member of the family, take note of these safety tips
from the experts at VCA Animal Hospitals, which has more than 1,000 locations across North America that cared for more than 4.5 million pets last year. Talk to your veterinarian if you need assistance dealing with pet anxiety.

Create a safe space for your pet at home. If your neighborhood is particularly busy on Halloween and the sidewalks are overflowing with exuberant trick-or-treaters, it may be best to leave your pet at home. Pets can be thrown off by extra people on the street or at the door in frightening costumes, which could lead to uncommon reactions such as growling or biting if they feel threatened. Even if your pets are mellow and enjoy greeting guests, consider keeping them inside as you sit by yourself near the door or outside to greet trick-or-treaters as they knock or ring the doorbell. Otherwise, consider keeping your pet in a room away from the frenzy with a TV, radio or white noise machine to dull the sounds.

Be cautious when taking your pet trick-or-treating. If you do decide to venture out with your pet, make sure he or she is always close to you on a secure leash (avoid retractable leashes). Observe your surroundings and assess people – especially friendly, excited children – approaching you and your pet, because physical contact from strangers in costumes may instigate a fearful or aggressive reaction.

Consider skipping the costume. It’s best not to dress up your pets for Halloween, but if you choose to, it’s important for pets to wear safe, comfortable costumes. They should be loose enough to provide freedom of movement but not loose enough to be a tripping hazard. On the other hand, costumes that are too tight can restrict breathing and make movement difficult. Make sure your pet’s costume does not interfere with vision or hearing. Also beware of small parts, like buttons or loose strings, that could be chewed off and swallowed.

Keep treats away from pets. Resist the temptation to share Halloween candy with your pet. In fact, keep all candy safely out of reach. Chocolate, candy or gum artificially sweetened with xylitol can be dangerous for dogs. Plus, cellophane or foil wrappers can cause problems if swallowed. Even natural treats like caramel apples should be off limits as eating items not normally on the menu can cause upset stomachs, GI blockages or pancreatitis.

Decorate with safety in mind. Festive decorations help set the mood, but they can also create health risks for your pet. While non-toxic, pumpkin and pumpkin seeds can upset stomachs, especially when consumed in large quantities. Lit candles in Jack-O-Lanterns may pose fire hazards if toppled by a curious four-legged friend. Decorative lights can brighten your porch but should be kept out of your pet’s reach as nibbling on electrical cords can cause electrocution.

— Family Features

A scene from 'A Killer Day'

Halloween comes around a week early to the Playhouse at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 270 Main St., Northport as it plays host to the 13th Annual Northport One-Act Play Festival – “Halloween Edition.” The new plays that make up this year’s festival all share something in common. Each embraces the strange, sometimes scary aspects associated with All Hallows Eve, whether as a comedy or drama.

The plays featured in the festival will be performed twice each, once as a matinee and once in the evening at the theater They will be brought to the stage by directors and actors from the Long Island theater community.

Program 1 will be presented on Saturday, October 22nd at 3:00 p.m.

Program 2 will be performed on Saturday, October 22nd at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 23rd at 3:00 p.m.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Program 1Saturday, October 22nd at 3:00 p.m.
Mortal Lives by Seth Freeman

Date Night in Roissy by Les Abromovitz

Fall of the House of Hasenpheffer by Michael Casano

Grave’s Anatomy by Rich Rubin

Program 2: Saturday, October 22nd at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 23rd at 3:00 p.m.

Meeting Acute by Chuck Smith

The Psychic by John Passadino

Bite Me by Pete Mergel

Margo by Peter Scarpinato

A Killer Day by Joe Bulvi

Admission is $25 to each of the four festival performances. You can reserve tickets for the festival (recommended) at www.northportplays.com or call (631) 223-8053.