Halloween Season is Creeping up!

Well, you might have noticed a slight change in the appearance of my blog. You might or might not know, I am a big Halloween fan and haunted attraction aficionado. So what can I write about in this post? Well, two of my good friends Ross Karpleman and Steve Jay, own and operate the House of Shock in New Orleans. The House of Shock is a gigantic haunted house/horror show located in Clearview.

Ross and Jay started the attraction years ago in Jay Gracionette's grandfather's back yard. Jay is a also a business partner. Their 4th partner in the venture was Phil Anselmo of the band Pantera. The attraction grew, achieving massive success after several years, becoming one of the largest and most prolific dark attractions in the country. The show draws up to and sometimes over 40,000 attendees.

They have been featured in several network and cable Halloween specials, as well as articles in various media including Playboy and USAToday. I have visited the House of Shock several times and have jumped into costume and character in for some of the fun, scaring the patrons that line up by the thousands to experience one of the most intensely terrifying horror shows anywhere.

On a culinary point, (since this is a foodie blog) Phil Anselmo's family owns Anselmo's, a fine Italian restaurant in Metairie. My son Martin is a heavy metal guitarist, as well as a big fan of Phil's newest band, Down. My pal Ross plays keyboards and also appeared on Down's last CD. Ross is a longtime friend who was nearly washed out by Katrina. He is restoring his house in Lakeview with plans to move back in soon. I am sure though, the House of Shock has his full attention these days.

If you'd like to know more about the House of Shock you can click HERE. For information about my Halloween activities go HERE. To locate a Halloween Haunted Attraction in your area, go HERE or HERE. Check back by during October for more fun seasonal posts.