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
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
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
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.
I can be found on Google+ as
webspelunker Ghostraven.
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.
If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.
Open roads
and kind fires!
