Spooktacular in the Shores
By Rebecca Calappi
For a hauntingly good time, follow the shrieks to the St. Clair Shores Halloween Tour. Now in its third year, the tour features 20 homes throughout the city decked out to frighten and add a little extra fun to your Halloween.
Jessica Krutell is the head haunter for the tour, which draws an estimated 700 cars each year. “In 2019, I had the idea of doing something to give back to the community. So, I posted on Facebook to see if there would be any interest,” she recalled. “We had a very successful first year. Certain residents in the city went above and beyond to help.”
The next year, Krutell recruited a board of directors to help curate houses. “In 2020, we received 40 applications,” said Krutell. “When we curate these houses, we pick them on how easy they are to access and the theme. We don’t want to have too many clown houses, for example.”
Randy Stockdale and his wife Alycia have featured their house on the tour every year. “We do primarily a graveyard theme,” explained Stockdale.
“To get everything out, it takes me a good month to get everything set up and ready for October. I typically start setting up around the beginning to middle of September. Halloween is the one holiday we go big for and we’re always adding new stuff.”
Krutell and the board of directors met in August to plan the popular fall event and to open registration. Applications will be accepted until Oct. 10 at midnight. The top 20 houses in St. Clair Shores will be selected for the official tour lineup. After the homes on the tour are finalized, the map and addresses will be posted on the St. Clair Shores Halloween Tour Facebook page.
The tour dates are Saturday, Oct. 23 and Sunday, Oct. 24. The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. with actors out from 7 to 9 p.m. The first hour is “Monster Free” for those with young children or who’d rather have a less scary time.
“Once all the houses are selected, we release all the addresses and break it up in sections, so you can pick and choose the houses close to you. We also include a little map for folks to figure out where the houses are. The residents get to name their home, so you have an idea of what to expect when you go to these houses,” Krutell said. “We have a lot of actors go out there, too. I dressed up as a living doll last year. We have haunted house actors out there to add extra oomph.”
While the St. Clair Shores Halloween Tour isn’t the only place in Macomb County to get your haunt on, it is a bit more family friendly than some of the other options, such as the Clinton Township Neighborhood Haunt or even Tilson Street in Romeo.
Krutell has been in the haunted house industry for 15 years. “It gives me an extra weekend to be out there doing what I love and make some classic, true Halloween enjoyment,” she said.
For more visit Facebook.com/scshalloween.
