Friday, October 7, 2016

Halloween Returns to Second Life!




The wind outside nested in each tree, prowled the sidewalks in invisible treads like unseen cats, Tom Skelton shivered. Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows' Eve. Everything seemed cut from soft black velvet or gold or orange velvet. Smoke panted up out of a thousand chimneys like the plumes of funeral parades. From kitchen windows drifted two pumpkin smells: gourds being cut, pies being baked.

Ray Bradbury, The Halloween Tree





Autumn always means the arrival of one of my favorite holidays!

In fact, the entire Yuletide Holiday season begins for me with this holiday.  (Growing up, things were kind of dull for me except for this time of the year so I made the most of it.)

Of course, that holiday is Halloween!    


Whether it be in Second Life (SL) or Real Life (RL)! 

(I did lead a futile effort to have it made an official school holiday in my youth.  This was the first of many experiences that I had with the overbearing weight of authority while growing up.) 

Although, it’s been a while since I wore a costume for the event (Significant Other is grateful for the small things.) I always look forward to it and have plenty of candy for the trick or treaters who come by. 

This time of the year is also when Perryn Peterson reaches out to let me know what his band at Mieville has planned and allows me the privilege of a quick preview of what’s planned.    

Things are a little different this year at Mieville though.

Wyvern Dryke, a longstanding member of the Mieville community ran the build and the whole show was his.   

Wyvern had big shoes to fill following in Perryn’s footsteps but he’s done an amazing job!    

The event is called Nawlins Halloween: Haunted Mardi Gras. 

The theme is Mardi Gras mixed with Halloween: think celebration, Samhain, spooks, Voodoo, swamps, and bright Mardi Gras and Halloween colors such as gold, green, and
purple.  Think decadence and celebration of life in death. 

Think of all of these things and you have the Mieville Halloween for this year!

The look and feel is different this year.  It seems more overcast and gloomy. Maybe the darkened skies with lightning are creating this moody environment.  (Be warned, I was the kid who went through the haunted house multiple times on the school trip.  I’ll ignore Significant Other’s comment about that explaining a lot.)

The physical layout is different too.  There appears to be less of a grid format as in past events and more of a randomness to things.  I kept getting lost during my visit.  (Significant Other asks what else is new.)

In a word, it feels sinister which is what Halloween is supposed to feel like!  (Safely sinister like that haunted house I kept going back to in RL.) 

Walking around the grounds, when not trying to get lost, the atmosphere felt ominous.  A sense of impending doom.  (Significant Other suggests it’s blowback from the ongoing US Presidential election.) Maybe this is because things really are different.

Some sights and sounds are familiar but many are different.

Pumpkins, witches, and clowns (the scary sort) abound.  Ghosts dance in storefronts.  The event is a celebration of color.  Amusements are available for those who haven’t been frightened out of their wits.  Make sure to check out the Magic Mirror at
Madame Magda’s, just ask yes or no questions in local chat and solve all your problems.  (Neither Mielville nor I take any responsibility for the consequences of doing so.)

And, there will be plenty to see and do, entertainment, gachas, shopping,food and drinks, parades, dances and much more!  A special building for gachas is being provided.

Dozens of merchants will be participating and will have their wares on display.  A Trick-or-Treat mini-hunt especially designed by Wyvern will be taking place with gifts from many of the participating merchants. 

This year’s Halloween celebration in Mieville is different from earlier ones but no less fun and exciting. As always, the considerable efforts of Wyvern, his team, and the merchants are realized in this scary spectacle! 

Mieville’s Halloween celebration is still the “go to” seasonal event inworld!

The fun runs from October 7th to October 31st, Halloween itself! 

The celebration can be found here. 

Come, have fun, and maybe be a little bit frightened!

I’d like to thank Perryn for giving me the scoop as always and Wyvern for his
extraordinary efforts in pulling together this year’s Halloween festival!

I’d also like to thank my Companion who supplied all the pictures used in this story and that can also be found on this flickr page.  (She’s also grateful that this assignment allowed her to keep her clothes on given how cool the Halloween air can be.) 

As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives. 

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

            If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life
please click here.

            Open roads and kind fires!



1 comment:

'Sugah said...

Thanks Webby (and significant Other) for the great review of this years Halloween. As a merchant, I agree Wyvvy did an amazing job this year. There is so much going on here, it is good thing we got 3 weeks to do it. You forgot to mention the two Haunted Houses, and the Haunted Swap, and Trick or Treating via Hud to win great prizes. Just knock on the random doors you find throughout the exhibit.There is a Parade every Hours or so that you can join and see most of the upper level. It also throws party beads you can click for points. There are as well few random monsters and ghosties that love to get visitors. Lots of the merchants decorated their shops for the event, too. So much spooky fun to be had. there is even rumor of a maze to get lost in. Please, we would love for you to come back and explore some more. ---Moonsugah Monday