Halloween Start up?

[Abagpiper5]

This is going to be my first Halloween doing the LOR thing. I know when I do the Christmas lights, I start around Thanksgiving and my neighbors seem to set up their lights up around the same time.

As for Halloween, people have decorations, but no lights or music.

When do most people run their Halloween displays. All week? Just weekends? just the day of?

Just wondering.

Thanks.

[TDOVEL]

This is my first year with lights and music. I'm thinking about putting the decorations out this weekend and the week of the 15th I'll start the show...

[iresq]

I'm about 3/4 done with setup and will probably start running shows next week. I figure for the time and money i have invested, I'll get some use out if it.

[MtDew4me]

Halloween last year was my first year. I had the a signing pumpkin, 8 pumpkin chorus, Tombstones, some LED mini lights. I also had a radio transmitter and a Tune To sign. I was busting at the seams with excitement to get my display going and I started my show on October 1st. I was somewhat disappointed that it took people about 2 weeks to "figure it out". However, I had lots traffice the last 2 weeks of October.

I started my Christmas show on Black Friday and it drew in the viewers immediately. I believe this was due to people knowing there was a light show at my house and to tune in their radios etc.

I already have people coming by my house this year, stopping to ask if/when I am doing the show again. This year i am waiting to go live until Friday Oct 12th since there will not be a learning curve for the viewers.

You may have a different experience but thought I'd share mine with you to give you the benefit of my experience last year.

Good Luck and Have fun,

Brandon

Edited October 1, 2012 by MtDew4me

[thebaronn]

My Halloween show is pretty much just like a Christmas light show. We start at the beginning of the month. I will turn it on tomorrow (I work to night and like to be there when it starts incase there are issues!). I may add things during the month if I feel it needs something. But all my displays are like that. Never has my display been the same opening night as opposed to the final show, they are always evolving.

Halloween night we go live with outside music, a ton of candy, and a live Halloween show! We end up doing 3-6 shows depending on the crowds and costume failure rate, lol!

This year we are doing Generator Rex!

[caniac]

done with show, sequencing, most props, almost ready for show time.

[columbus27]

I'll start setup and testing this weekend.

[Tracy West]

I am working on completing my prop projects and then next weekend on the 12th, I will start build up. It will take me about 3 days to set up and then a couple of days to test run the show.

I will video tape on the 16th/17th/18th and then go full production from the 19th thru October 30th. No show on Halloween just lights.

[Orville]

Still have to get a few items out of my storage unit, but for the most of it, my show is up and running as of 10/1/2012, Sun-Thu 7pm-10pm / Fri-Sat 7pm-11pm broadcasting on 99.7 FM/

So far the only failure was the downpour this evening 10/1 around 8pm that kept tripping the GFCI and shutting down the show, so looks like I may need to get some of my cords up off the ground.

This is the first time in almost 3 years I've had any GFCI trips, but I also did not cap off all my open cords this year, ended up with more cords and less child proof outlet caps this year, so got to go buy some more and hope that resolves some of the issue.

Plus I also did not tie up the cord connections near the house and that could pose an issue, so tomorrow 10/2, it will be time to go back outside and do some power/extension cord rearranging and moving. And hope no more problems for the Halloween show this year.

But I think it is because the house does not have any eaves {overhang} and the orange incandescent lights going around the perimeter of the house {mounted to the siding} are getting drenched from the waterfalls from the roof, and falling literally down on, and soaking the bulbs and sockets on those strings. So I may have to try and figure out something for this,problem if that's what it is, and if at all possible.

And my Christmas show starts Thanksgiving evening around 5:30pm, also runs to 10pm Sun-Thur and 11pm on Fri/Sat.

I also use overnight sequences to cycle through all lights from show end time until 6:45am, then play music from7am-6:45pm during the daylight hours..

Edited October 2, 2012 by Orville

[Abagpiper5]

Thanks for all the reply's. I think I will start setting up this weekend and test out some of my sequences, then start it up the following weekend.

[digdeepfundraising]

im just doing one night the 31st and hopefully its going to be a amazing first year of light o rama

[ShaggySS]

I went from 31 channels to 750+ so I will be lucky to get mine going before the middle of the month. Got stuff out of the attic yesterday and I plan to start decorating this weekend. I won't start a show any before the 13th and will probaly only do it on the weekend. No FM transmitter for me.

[Tom L.]

I would like to have a show starting on the 13th. But if I did, on the 14th I would have an empty yard, practically everything would be missing due to two legged vermin. Oddly enough I've had no problems with our Christmas display which starts December 1st. Lots of fun.

[Dad02]

October is a rainy, windy month in the NE. The past few years we have had more cancelled nights due to rain than running nights. Since the rain takes it's toll on the equipment and display we changed the start date to the 15th, bout the time everyone gets into it anyway.

[Orville]

I would like to have a show starting on the 13th. But if I did, on the 14th I would have an empty yard, practically everything would be missing due to two legged vermin. Oddly enough I've had no problems with our Christmas display which starts December 1st. Lots of fun.

Sorry to hear that stops you from doing a Halloween Display as they are so much fun and don't require the finesse in sequencing {although I try} as a Christmas display. Halloween sequencing is so much more forgiving. LOL

This is why ALL my cords are zip tied together, then zip tied at each connection point, then I have them up off the ground utilizing those green light holder yard stakes, as well as plastic "C" screw down clamps screwed into the siding of my house. The blowmolds are all staked down with LONG screws from the stakes into the backs of the blowmolds {I know some will shudder at that}, then their cords are zip tied to their stakes, then I have them run along the ground siding of my house, I remove the screws put the cord in and screw the siding back down.

So for anyone to take anything out of my display and able to use it is gonna have to work their a$$ off to get it! ROFL

Yes, a lot of extra work, but at least I'm not having items walk away out of my yard! So well worth the time invested to keep my decor intact where it is! Plus I have a lot of great neighbors that also watch my display items when I'm off running an errand or have to be gone for a bit.

[columbus27]

I have a neighbor that puts a chicken wire fence around his yard for his displays to minimize vandalism and theft.

[mjbadb]

I have a neighbor that puts a chicken wire fence around his yard for his displays to minimize vandalism and theft.

and chickens!

[gtoyeah]

Can't wait to see those videos!

[JoeKinne]

We will start putting it up this weekend with final completion next weekend and go live on the sometime around the 19th. Before then we will do the video taping, and modifications. It normally takes a good 5-7 full days to get all of Halloween up and running. We have been sequencing new songs and modifying old songs for the last 2 months along with updating and making some new props. The big party (first costume party for the kids) will be on the 27th.

We will start putting out the Christmas display on the 20th if all goes well, and then I need to start updating the sequencing for Christmas (been totally burned out on computer use for the last six months) along with a couple of new songs that I need to sequence.