By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

Celebrating Halloween was definitely different this year. After guidelines were released by state health officials discouraging door-to-door trick-or-treating, some thought that the holiday – a favorite of many – was lost. Crescenta Valley Weekly immediately kicked into high gear to counter these restrictions with a fun way to celebrate Halloween while observing health guidelines. The Fun and Frights in the Foothills self-driving tour was born.
CVW reached out to the community inviting Halloween enthusiasts to submit their addresses for the tour. The response was nearly overwhelming! With over 40 houses on the list, it took almost four hours for the judges to cover them all.
From La Cañada to Sunland-Tujunga, decorations of all types were prominently displayed, delighting the thousands who drove through the valley.
The judges were film industry professionals who are Halloween enthusiasts as well. There were particular components they were looking for – theme, creativity and lighting among them. Thankfully, there was plenty for them to see, making judging challenging at best.
Homeowners were vying for the chance of not only being named the best in their category but also to be a recipient of a gift card donated by local businesses. So before naming our winners, CVW wants to thank those who donated gift cards:

Alissa Hwang of Alissa’s Ocean View Bar and Grill
Arnie Abramyam of Arnie’s Coffee Cruise
Jeanne Bone of Casa Cordoba
Susan Miner of The Crows Nest Sports Grille
Darwin Lizarraga of Dish Restaurant
Ceasar Valencia of Hill Street Café
Jeremy Jouer of Jeremy’s Coffee Shop
José and Tumara of Joselito’s – West
Bent Hansen of Los Gringos Locos
Property Masters

As mentioned above, choosing the winning displays was difficult so in addition to showcasing the winning addresses CVW is including photos of several other houses that went all out for Halloween 2020. Photos courtesy of Murat Montero and Rochelle Wardle.

And since the response was so strong, CVW is planning a Christmas self-driving tour, too; details coming soon!