I spent 6 days in Illinois recently as a haunted house enthusiast and owner at the Transworld National Halloween Party and Costume Show. The show, considered the premier event for all things Halloween was held at the convention Center in Rosemont, Il, and featured 100’s of vendors showing the latest animatronics, props and special effects. For me it was the stepping off place for the thoughts of doing a professional haunt. The show really pumped me up. All of a sudden I was really excited to be putting on a haunt.

I spent much of my time at haunt related seminars too, including classes on makeup, sponsorship, prop building, and even haunting for beginners, something I’m not!

It was a long week. A couple of days I went from 8 am to midnight. This was a serious event for me.

One of my highlights of the week? Posing with special guest speaker Linda Blair of The Exorcist fame. (See also The Exorcist in 30 seconds, re-enacted by bunnies) I’m the dorky one on the left.

Hills Host Haunters
Chicago in March can be a cold and lonely place, but not while staying with family. I was graciously invited to stay at the Gold Coast digs of Eva and Roger Hill.  Eva is a sister in law once removed so to speak, but is considered family nonetheless.

Eva and Roger’s Gold Coast pad would have made a great haunted house from the outside. Inside it was plush and luxurious.

“We never even saw him,” said Eva, “He was at these seminars from first thing in the morning until after we went to bed.”

For me, it was worth the extra drive to come home to a warm cozy house and wake up to the smell of fresh-brewed coffee.

I got to see a lot of Chicago that I wouldn’t have gotten to see that way, including The Pancake House, Dick’s Last Resort, and Twin Anchors restaurant.”

Thanks again, Eva and Roger, for your wonderful hospitality.