Salem Haunted Happenings Parade 2025

Last night was the 28th annual Haunted Happenings Grand Parade in Salem, MA. This has really become one of my favorite seasonal traditions. Who doesn't love a parade? On top of that, I go to the staging area before it starts to get a preview and snap some pics.

  

 

Where else would you see a Predator, Michael Myers, the Addams Family and Jesus hanging out together? These are some of the Salem buskers you can find along the pedestrian mall downtown. They take donations for taking photos with them.

  

I just happened to catch this shot of the Addams Family as the mom of the little girl was taking her own photo. Her staff is blocking it but Gomez is holding a baby Pubert, complete with mustache. 

Halloween Hot Wheels 2025 - Hollowback

 Starting off the 2025 Countdown at high speed with the first of this year's Halloween Hot Wheels. I'm thrilled to say we've got an all killer, no filler line-up! I have to give a shout out to Diecast Garage where I ordered these from.They went above and beyond with packing the cars. They used painters tape around each of the card bubbles to protect them. I've never seen that done before.

 

Before we get rolling, let's take a look at the 2025 card art.

 

 I'd love to see a collection of the "naked" Halloween card art original designs without the printing or logo.

 

Starting us off the line, we've got Hollowback. Insert "Hollaback Girl" joke here.

  

Hollowback debuted in 2005 and this is the 17th release. In 2021, it was part of a 5-pack called HW City vs Toxic Creatures. When the car was being conceptualized, it went by the name Knightmare. And that was before it got a creepy paint job!

 

 

This car just looks like it's going to eat you if you try to pass it. It's a pretty wild design. I think it's some kind of demon/devil head because there are horns coming off the top.

 

 Click the image to see the full list of Countdown to Halloween blogs!

 

Countdown to Halloween 2025

Welcome to the 2025 Countdown to Halloween!

  

Every day this month, I'll be celebrating all things creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky. And maybe even a little ooky! And I'm not the only one. There's a whole trick or treat crew of us that do this every year to share our love of the best holiday of the year. 

 

In case you missed my earlier post on this, there's still time to grab yourself a Kindle copy of Ben Farthing's latest book The 31st Trick-or-Treater. 

Click the cover for an Amazon affiliate link.

 

 Last Halloween, thirty trick-or-treaters vanished into the night. This October, they’re coming back—one by one, each day of the month. But every child carries the same chilling warning: something is returning on the 31st. Bob has never stopped searching for his daughter. Now, as the shadows of Halloween grow longer, he must face the darkness that stole her—before it takes everything again.

The 31st Trick-or-Treater is a Halloween advent novel: thirty-one nights, thirty-one chapters, and one final nightmare waiting on Halloween.

 

I'm a fan of Farthing's "I Found" horror series and I'm excited to experience this reading a chapter every day of October.

 

Click the image below to visit the Countdown blog where you can find a list of all the folks participating. And stay tuned for some fun stuff every day leading up to the 31st.