Hello, loyal readers! Are you a fan of Halloween and looking for a family-friendly event everyone can enjoy? Then, I have an event ideal for you! Last year, I was introduced to Creep It Real OC for the first time by my friend and fellow TGON writer Kat. I attended as a last-minute attendee and had loads of fun, but this year, I attended it for the first time as a member of the media and representative of The Game of Nerds.
For context, Creep It Real OC is a Halloween-themed community event that takes place twice a year at the (supposedly haunted) Heritage Museum of Orange County, California. Usually, a two-day event, Creep It Real OC houses food trunks, spooky-themed drinks, and numerous vendors, selling Halloween and horror-themed licencsed merchandise. With Halloween as my favorite holiday, I was thrilled to attend Creep It Real Festive (their signature crossover event) last year, and when I learned that Creep It Real OC had not one, but two events every year, I was determined to attend their next event as a member of the media.
Every year, Creep It Real OC starts with a varying theme. Last year, it was “Camp Creep It Real,” celebrating all the campfire horror stories of years past, and this year it was “Creep It Real Nostalgic,” celebrating horror icons that dominated the 80s and 90s. As a massive fan of the Scream franchise, I was anticipating plenty of Ghostface costumed attendees and memorabilia. I was right. When I pulled into the free parking lot, I spotted my first Ghostface walking through the front entrance. With limited parking, I was initially worried I wouldn’t get a spot in the main lot, but I lucked out, presented my ticket, and walked in to see a literal horror show. In the best way, of course.
Costumed fiends greeted me, and I heard the iconic Goosebumps opening theme in the air. Can you name a better way to walk into a Halloween expo? Next to the entrance was my friend and vendor Nekkokyacafe, who loves all things both spooky and sweet and was offering custom commissions featuring my favorite fictional killer Ghostface. Since I was aware of her attendance at Creep It Real Nostalgic via social media, I pre-ordered a commission from her and it was the first thing I picked up. She drew Ghostface and me on the phone together, and I loved how it turned out as always! Over the years, it has become a tradition for me to commission her to draw me or my favorite characters in her style, so it was a brilliant start to my Creep It Real outing.
While walking, I spotted numerous photo opportunities with horror movie icons such as Ghostface, Jason Vorhees, and Beetlejuice. I even saw Halloween celebrity Mr. Floats lurking around Creep It Real and taking photos with unsuspecting attendees. I loved seeing people in costume. Since it was a family-friendly event, costumes were advised to be tasteful. I saw couples dressed as Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz and Jack Skellington and Sally and a literal parade of fictional killers from various games and films.
In their press release, Creep It Real OC expressed the importance of wearing sunscreen, drinking water, and wearing family-appropriate costumes and footwear. As someone prone to heat stroke, I highly recommend bringing your own food and water. Food trucks are fun but often expensive. On a side note, I was going to wear heels, but then I remembered the dirt lot that covered a vast majority of the museum grounds. Unfortunately, heels were out of the question. I wore sneakers and did not regret it. Practical footwear is best when attending ANY expo or convention. From what I could see, attendees respected the rules regarding family-friendly costumes. The costumes were scary but approachable. Creep It Real was also marketed as a pet-friendly event, and based on the numerous costumed pets I saw, they were true to their word. I mistook a live chicken for a plush toy and a piglet for a puppy. It was wild!
While further exploring the museum grounds, I stopped to smell some Halloween and horror-themed candles courtesy of Drip From The Crypt and loved their Cereal Killer candle best. As some of you are aware, I love themed candle sets, so I highly recommend ordering a few of their candles. I also stopped to appreciate the adorable Squaredy Cats booth, which was promoting their upcoming launch of plush cats. I was especially a fan of their “Cathulhu Reawakened” plush cat. Very cute. Very clever.
Since I was a picky eater with a budget, I did not pay too much attention to the food trunks and instead focused on the large array of sweets available. As someone with a sweet tooth, I bought sugar cookies that reflected Ghostface and Beetlejuice. Next, I waited in line for The Nightmare Before Christmas guests meet and greet featuring Chris Sarandon (the voice of Jack Skellington) and Ken Page (the voice of Oogie Boogie). I waited in line to shake their hands and admit that The Nightmare Before Christmas is my favorite “Christmas” movie. Would you call The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween, Christmas movie, or crossover?
After the meet and greet, I sat down in preparation for the This Is Halloween panel. The panel itself was outdoors and overcrowded (to be expected), with chairs extremely limited. Attendees who arrived late had to stand or sit on the ground. In the crowd, I noticed that people were dressed as various characters from the original 1993 film, including a genderbend of Jack Skellington. Once the panel began, panelists (including Sarandon and Page) explained how the original film was forged, filmed, and animated for all to enjoy, and it was truly a delight to watch them get in character and talk about their roles in The Nightmare Before Christmas.
When the film was released, Ken Page admitted, “It brought me to tears because I knew it was something extraordinary.” Who could have imagined that The Nightmare Before Christmas would have such a huge following thirty-one years later? As a kid, I had never seen anything like it and it arguably changed me forever. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a movie that requires no sequel to stay “relevant.” Instead, it is a film that can be enjoyed again and again.
All in all, if you are looking for a place where you can see a killer clown juggle bones, meet and greet Halloween icons, and vibe to the opening theme of Goosebumps, then Creep It Real OC is for you to breeze through and enjoy! If you are an Orange County local and are interested in attending their Halloween-Christmas crossover event Creep It Real Festive to celebrate the last days of fall, click here to buy your weekend tickets before they sell out and follow Creep It Real OC @creepitrealoc to stay tuned with news updates and learn more about their Christmas crossover event! I highly recommend Creep It Real OC to any lover of Halloween and horror!
