Events, Lifestyle, Spiritual

Celebrating El Día de los Muertos at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

by Jennifer Vasquez11 Comments on Celebrating El Día de los Muertos at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Vamp Jenn at the Dia de los Muertos event at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Vamp Jenn at the Día de los Muertos event at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Since 2000, Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles has been home to the largest Día de los Muertos celebration outside of Mexico, and I attended for the first time this year. For 2022, the festivities centered on Mayahuel, the Aztec goddess of fertility and the agave plant. There were separate daytime and nighttime events happening, and I went to the latter, Noche de los Muertos. It was an evening filled with beautiful performances, rituals, altars, and so much more.

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Dining & Drink, entertainment, Events, Performing Arts

House of Spirits: The Legend of Vaughan Hall

by Jennifer Vasquez4 Comments on House of Spirits: The Legend of Vaughan Hall
Vamp Jenn at House of Spirits: A Haunted Cocktail Soiree hosted at Casa Vertigo in Los Angeles
Vamp Jenn at House of Spirits: A Haunted Cocktail Soiree hosted at Casa Vertigo in Los Angeles

For the Halloween season, I returned to the House of Spirits, and this time to explore the legend of Vaughan Hall. I attended on October 15th, its first evening being open to the public. For 2022, the event took place at an entirely different venue in Los Angeles called Casa Vertigo. It offered up new live acts, performances, characters, cocktails and dark secrets.

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Events

In Memoriam: A Victorian Mourning Exhibit Presented by Haunted Orange County

by Jennifer Vasquez16 Comments on In Memoriam: A Victorian Mourning Exhibit Presented by Haunted Orange County
Victorian mourning fashion
Victorian mourning fashion

Haunted Orange County kicked off October in a very fitting way. They hosted In Memoriam: A Victorian Mourning Exhibit during the first weekend of the month. The event was held at the historic Howe-Waffle Mansion in Santa Ana, Calif., which is known to have a few spirits of its own. I am absolutely fascinated with the Victorian period and made it a focus of my studies when I was working toward my MA in English, so I had to attend this exhibition, and it did not disappoint.

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music

Spotlight on In Isolation: Uniting 80s New Wave & Dark Alternative Beats

by Jennifer Vasquez4 Comments on Spotlight on In Isolation: Uniting 80s New Wave & Dark Alternative Beats
Albums | Singles| Soundtracks by In Isolation
Albums | Singles| Soundtracks by In Isolation

How the band, In Isolation, has gone under my radar for so many years, is beyond me, but I’m thrilled to have been able to experience their music recently. It’s a fascinating blend of ‘80s New Wave and dark alternative sounds. They debuted their first single, “The Wrong Girl,” in 2007 and have gone on to produce a wealth of songs. This past June, the group released their latest project, Albums | Singles| Soundtracks, which delivers a retrospective of their past 15 years creating music.

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entertainment, Events

Inside Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood

by Jennifer Vasquez9 Comments on Inside Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights
Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights

Universal Studios Hollywood has been in full-blown Halloween mode since launching Horror Nights on September 8th, and I attended during its second weekend of being open. Now, normally I wait to do this event closer to my birthday, but prices during October for the express pass increased like crazy, so to save some money, I decided to go earlier. Was it any less exciting attending in September? Not at all! Here’s a recap of this year’s festivities and what you can look forward to if you’re planning to check it out.

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Literature

12 Unusual Facts About Mary Shelley

by Jennifer Vasquez17 Comments on 12 Unusual Facts About Mary Shelley
Portrait of Mary Shelley by Richard Rothwell
Portrait of Mary Shelley by Richard Rothwell

In 1818, Mary Shelley published her first major work, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. More than 200 years later, the novel is still popular among gothic horror fans. Not only has it sparked numerous movie adaptations, but the monster of the narrative has been the inspiration behind Halloween costumes, haunts and a Frankenstein-themed bar in the UK. The author also continues to be a prominent literary figure today, inspiring countless contemporary horror writers. There’s even an annual holiday commemorating her birthday and notorious book, Frankenstein Day on August 30th. To pay homage to the author, here are 12 interesting facts about Mary Shelley that may surprise you.

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Events

Midsummer Scream Thrills & Chills

by Jennifer Vasquez8 Comments on Midsummer Scream Thrills & Chills
Cross Roads Escape Games at Midsummer Scream
Cross Roads Escape Games at Midsummer Scream

For the first time in three years, Midsummer Scream made its long-awaited return to Long Beach, CA! After having to cancel the event in 2020 and move to a smaller venue in 2021, the Halloween and horror convention had its homecoming in 2022. If you don’t know, the event spans across a three-day weekend, featuring discussion panels, celebrity interviews, haunts, vendors and other activities geared toward the spooky community. I’ve been looking forward to it for months and am here to share details of my experience.

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Art, Events, Nightlife

Goth Night at Mirus Gallery

by Jennifer Vasquez8 Comments on Goth Night at Mirus Gallery
Vamp Jenn at Goth Night
Vamp Jenn at Goth Night

Mirus Gallery in Los Angeles, in collaboration with dark artist Shane Izykowski, has a new recurring event they’ll be hosting for the darkly inclined—Goth Night. It debuted in May, and I had the opportunity to experience the July edition, which included macabre art, live entertainment, spooky vendors and, of course, DJs spinning goth music. Here’s your look inside the festivities.

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Dining & Drink, entertainment, Events, Nightlife, Performing Arts

REVIVE Circus & Dining Experience at Vibiana

by Jennifer Vasquez7 Comments on REVIVE Circus & Dining Experience at Vibiana
REVIVE at Vibiana in Los Angeles
REVIVE at Vibiana

I recently stepped back into the Roaring Twenties during my time at REVIVE—an immersive experience that delivered astounding circus performances while guests wined and dined. The show had its final run this past weekend and, although I’m sorry to say it has ended for now, I wanted to share details and photos I took throughout the evening. It was a night filled with delightful libations, delectable food and dazzling entertainment. 

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Events, Lifestyle

Countdown to Halloween 2022 Guide

by Jennifer Vasquez10 Comments on Countdown to Halloween 2022 Guide
Halloween guide (Photo by Pixabay via Pexels)
Halloween guide (Photo by Pixabay via Pexels)

We’re at that point in summerween when it’s time to start preparing for the upcoming spooky season! For those who don’t know, the much anticipated 100-days to Halloween countdown happens every year on July 23rd, and I’m releasing a special guide for 2022. I published one of these in 2021 and plan to make it an annual tradition so people can have a helpful resource to refer to as they plan their ghoulish festivities for the fall. I’ll be sharing where to shop, my costume predictions, event happenings and a few other tidbits.

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