By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Spooky season is here—and Palisadians who want to show off their decorated homes have a chance to win hundreds of dollars in prizes from local businesses and restaurants.
For the sixth year in a row, the Palisadian-Post is putting on the Creep Your Crypt home decorating contest. This year the spooky fun is sponsored by Amalfi Estates and Aquarium of the Pacific.
Prizes will be awarded in three categories: Creepiest Crypt, DIY-Originality and Best Theme. Entries and nominations, which are currently being accepted, will remain open through October 31.
Voting will take place October 17 through 31, and winners will be revealed in the paper on November 7.
In 2018, the prize for Creepiest Crypt was awarded to first-time winner Trisha Jochen.
“Halloween is the biggest holiday in our family,” Jochen shared when she learned that her crypt won.
With the help of her “spider web master” boyfriend, she went heavy on the skeleton theme.
“We even had a skeleton reading the Pali-Post,” Jochen said with a laugh, “and one on the roof with a chainsaw.” There were also spider webs with creepy dolls.
Second time winners Kimber and Chuck Peil, who previously won in 2016, were awarded Best Theme last year, when Chuck shared that he “loves to participate every year.”
The Peils’ entire yard was filled with 30 ghosts, 20 tombstones, a subtle skull theme on the left side, and an abundance of smoke machines, lasers and lights.
Throwing her hat into the ring for the very first time, Barbara Westlund was awarded the DIY-Originality prize. For her entry, she enlisted the help of partner Paul Borraccia.
“We weren’t sure if we could even enter because we live in a condo!” Borraccia explained. (The contest is open to houses, condos, apartments and guesthouses in every neighborhood across the Palisades.)
“Our concept was spiders—because they’re like real life monsters in a way,” he continued. “We had a big mechanical man-eating spider crawling into a web with body parts, victims and drips of blood.”
Each winner will receive prizes from The Draycott, Coffee Bean, Caffe Luxxe, Cinépolis, Hello Honey, McConnell’s, Kayndaves, Sweet Laurel, The Yogurt Shoppe, Café Vida, Conscious Defense, California Science Center, Pepperdine and more.
For more information or to sign up (or nominate a spirited neighbor!), visit palipost.com/creep-your-crypt-contest-2019.
