Nicole Watson communicates with surrounding spirits on her Ouija board. Photo by Calvin Tranby Kyle Nguyen and Calvin Tran, Staff Writers
This Halloween, the Haunt at Daisy Avenue will be sticking to its roots with a theme of a classic haunted house. Although the creators Tom and Nicole Watson generally do a new theme every year, the two decided to take the traditional layout up a few notches.
“We actually want to keep it the same theme in order to make it better every year so we can focus on better props, better technology and dedicate more time on things we didn’t get to do the year before,” said Nicole.
For almost 20 years, the Watsons have hosted the Haunt at Daisy Avenue. Starting off as a small display that would scare trick-or-treaters, the haunted house gradually grew into an enclosure of over 1,100 square feet, becoming a prominent Halloween icon in Fountain Valley.
“We’ve always been big fans of Halloween and horror movies and as little kids, we’d watch movies like Chucky and Freddy Krueger. My parents have always done spooky displays and my sister and I decided to carry on this tradition,” said Nicole.
After spending all year planning the layout and theme for the haunted house, the Watsons began working on its actual construction in the beginning of August, looking at set designs, props, sounds, lighting and costumes. They also started to create a list of “Scaracaters”, all of whom are their close friends and family as well as the Watsons themselves.
“We just try to take what we enjoy about Knott’s Scary Farm and Universal Studios and incorporate that into our own ideas. We were even told that we’re scarier than Knott’s Scary Farm which is nice to hear. But without a doubt, this is a labor of love and it’s all for the fun of it and our love for Halloween,” said Tom.
For those looking for a spooktacular night this Halloween, the Haunt at Daisy Avenue will be open from 6 PM-10 PM and is located at 16887 Daisy Ave, Fountain Valley 92708. But beware Barons, the Haunt is not for the faint of heart. Fortunately, the Watsons will also be hosting a non-scare night Nov. 1 from 7 PM-9 PM.
