Let the Creep Shows Begin!

From Terra Linda to Granada Hills—twisted Halloween hauntings rise up from the dead
By Adriene Biondo
Fridays on the Homefront
We can already feel Halloween's ominous chill in the air—as eerily decked-out Eichlers get ready to spook streams of trick-or-treaters for Halloween 2025. Pumpkin cookies like these make a perfect festive goody for trick-or-treaters.

The ominous chill of All Hallows Eve is already in the air. We can feel it—as eerily decked-out Eichlers, from NorCal to SoCal, get ready to spook streams of trick-or-treaters for Halloween 2025.

Giant skeletons with glowing eyes have begun to set the mood, their bony bodies casting shadows that'll soon scare us half to death. Neighbors on ladders hang giant webs for spiders as big as Volkswagen bugs.

As sinister scenes begin to rise from the dead, we scream with anticipation: "Let the creep shows begin!"

 

Fridays on the Homefront
At the Moshier Eichler in Thousand Oaks: "We go 'big' at our house," says Robyn Moshier. Photo: courtesy Robyn Moshier

One of our Balboa Highlands (Granada Hills) neighbors, Ivette Wilde, once said, "It's funny, I don't have the energy to do windows, but I'll do anything for Halloween or Christmas! The minute fall weather creeps in, out come the boxes."

There's no question Halloween brings out the fun in life, and the happiness of having neighborhood traditions. This year, even though it was early for some, we checked in with a few Eichler neighborhoods to see what's going on this Halloween season.

In San Rafael, we chatted with Denise Albertini, whose Terra Linda Eichler along Bamboo Terrace has become quite an attraction since she added to her macabre mix the always-popular Bates Motel sign, a chilling echo of Hitchcock's classic 1960 thriller 'Psycho.'

 

Fridays on the Homefront
Denise Albertini's Eichler in Terra Linda: "I didn't mean to create a monster!" Denise says of her monstrous Halloween production. Photo: Denise Albertini

Back when Denise first started decorating in the late '90s, "There were hardly any kids trick-or-treating," she recalls. "Then a lot of families started moving into the area, and they saw the heavy decorating I was doing, so they began decorating as well, and it just grew."

Word of mouth at the local schools is what started drawing massive crowds. "I guess it's now a destination place for Halloween," she says. "I didn't mean to create a monster! But it's only one night, and I sure enjoy myself."

Out in the East Bay, Rancho San Miguel homeowners in Walnut Creek are getting ready for their annual Halloween tradition. Set for Friday, October 24, at 6pm, the trick-or-treating event takes place at the Rancho San Miguel Swim Club's own pool clubhouse.