Halloween

Ghost Manor is ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ and ‘giving the devil his due’ (with video)

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Ghost Manor on Magazine Street is back with two new Broadway-style vignettes this Halloween season. David Gentry, who creates the Halloween extravaganza, prefers that it not be referred to as a light show — as it’s so much more. The spectacle is an immersive theme-park-inspired theatrical show with coordinated animatronic characters, special effects and elaborately orchestrated performances that celebrate the magic and whimsy of Halloween with singing skeletons, dancing zombies, flying ghosts and other creatures. “I like to think that this is what ghosts and ghouls do after they get home from their jobs haunting people,” Gentry said. “My place is like a speakeasy for ghosts to unwind and entertain themselves.”

“Puttin’ on the Ritz” with the Ghost Manor gang of ghouls (courtesy of Ghost Manor)
This year’s light, music and animatronic dancing skeleton sequences feature two distinctly different new shows.

Halloween

Halloween crowds gather to see the house with good bones

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Every year in October, if you ride on St. Charles Avenue in the vicinity of the corner of State Street, you will see crowds gathered at the Skeleton House. 

This has become a fixture on the New Orleans Halloween scene. In the front yard – and spilling over onto the sidewalk and up into the trees — are more than 100 skeletons wearing costumes and wonderfully punny labels. The plays on words satirize politicians (John “For Whom the Bel Tolls” Edwards, Bobby Dwindle), celebrities (Dead Astaire, Bone Jovi), and local personalities (TromBONE Shorty, Morris Bat). 

Homeowner Louellen Berger is the brains behind the funny bones, and last year the display came back in full force after the pandemic. Uptown Messenger caught up with some spectators during a beautiful mid-October day. 

Olivia Nolt and her sister, Adrienne Nolt, visiting from Maryland were there among the audience.

Halloween

Punny skeleton krewe is back on St. Charles Avenue

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The Skeleton House at 6000 St. Charles Avenue, at State Street, has become a fixture on the New Orleans Halloween scene. In the front yard – and spilling over onto the sidewalk and up into the trees — are more than 100 skeletons wearing costumes with wonderfully punny labels. The plays on words satirize politicians (Darth Vitter, Bobby Dwindle), celebrities (Dead Astaire, Marrow-Lyn Monroe), well-known local personalities (Scarry Connick Jr., Morris Bat) and these days, the pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gov. John Bel Edwards are a duo.

arts, books and music

They’re back: The dancing denizens of Ghost Manor to haunt Magazine Street again

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Ghost Manor, the animated light show that allows ghosts, ghouls, witches, skeletons and zombies to show off their dancing skills, is back for a limited engagement this year at 2502 Magazine St. The animated display took a break last year due to Covid and was scheduled for another break this year, but owner David Gentry decided to set the ghosts free for their annual romp. “The ghoulish denizens of Ghost Manor are taking over once again,” a statement on Facebook reads. “Although the human inhabitants are still dealing with significant damage from Hurricane Ida, the ghosts and ghouls were not content to remain silent this year. We tried.

city government

NOPD offers safety tips, community Trick-or-Treating at local District stations

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from New Orleans Police Department

The NOPD coordinated with Walgreens again this year to do a candy giveaway and to make sure kids have a safe and boo-tiful Halloween. Dozens of local Walgreen stores donated over 400 bags of candy to the New Orleans Police Department to allow neighborhood kids to interact with their local police officers on Halloween. Superintendent Michael Chief Harrison is encouraging community members, parents or guardians to stop by their local district station to allow kids to trick-or-treat in a safe environment with officers. Here is a list of where you can grab some candy and visit with our officers

1st District: 501 North Rampart St
2nd District: 3401 Broadway St. 3rd District: 4650 Paris Ave
4th District: 2405 Sanctuary Dr.
5th District: 3900 N. Claiborne Ave.

events

Friends of Palmer Park host annual Halloween party Saturday

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The Friends of Palmer Park will host their Sixth Annual Halloween Party potluck Saturday evening (Oct. 27). For details see the following FOPP invitation:

6th Annual Halloween Party! Come join us as we celebrate our wonderful community! 6-9 p.m., Saturday, Oct 27

Park party kicks off in the park near the play-set – Costumes encouraged!

church

Costume contest, spooky movie night in the First Presbyterian pumpkin patch

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Kids of all ages are invited to show off their Halloween styles in a costume contest Saturday afternoon (Oct. 27) in the pumpkin patch at First Presbyterian Church, followed by “Casper the Friendly Ghost” cartoons upstairs in the fellowship hall. See the following announcement from the church for more information:

Pumpkin Patch Costume Contest and Movie Night
4:30pm in the pumpkin patch
(if raining, we will move into the fellowship hall)

The age categories will be:
0-6yrs
7-12yrs
13-17yrs
18 and over

Judges will consider scariness, cuteness, and creativity to select overall 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each age category. All participants will receive treats just for entering. 5:30pm Casper the Friendly Ghost animated cartoons upstairs in the fellowship hall.