Creepy creativity once again oozed out of Toluca Lake this October as residents went all-out by putting their spooky imaginations to the test during the sixth annual Halloween House-Decorating Contest, sponsored by Tina Smith Homes.
Taking home best-in-show honors were Todd and Irina Gallopo, who turned half of their Mariota Avenue front yard into Sammy Hagar’s Rockin’ Harbor, complete with “killer” sea life, “deadicated” fans and skeleton Sammy himself! The other half of the yard took residents down a “highway to hell” with an all-star skeleton band performing in a groovy graveyard.
A short walk away on Forman Avenue, Ruth Ann Jones won the award for the most creative display with a hair-raising Hollywood-themed haunt featuring skeletons costumed as “Forever Rest Gump” (Forrest Gump), “Top Gone” (Top Gun), “Ghost Dusters” (Ghostbusters) and more. A great added touch was a sign that directed residents who were interested in watching these frightful flicks to “screaming” services such as “Boolu” and “Amazon Crime.”
The creepy cleverness of the neighborhood continued down Toluca Lake Avenue, where Matt Kamin and Phillip Leclair captured the spookiest title for their “Toluca Lake Boo-tification Project” front yard that featured skeletons hanging up Halloween lights and painting the house.
On a lighter note, the award for cutest decorations went to Kevin and Kristen Dees on Talofa Avenue for their Minions-themed display, which featured adorable henchmen made of hay, Minion pumpkins and Gru peering over the balcony.
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to everyone who helped make this spooky season so special!