SugarMynt Gallery Presents a Halloween-Themed Art Exhibit & Walking Tour

SugarMynt Gallery in South Pasadena keeps it spooky year-round, but they’ve planned something extra special for October. Their current exhibit pays tribute to the iconic Halloween franchise and the dark fantasy animated miniseries Over the Garden Wall. To top it off, they’re hosting a Halloween walking tour!

Pottsfield Meets Haddonfield Art Exhibit

The latest group art show is titled Pottsfield Meets Haddonfield and is named after the worlds featured in Over the Garden Wall and the Halloween films. While I’ve seen the Halloween movies, I wasn’t familiar with Pottsfield and its magical characters. After seeing this exhibit, I definitely plan to watch the series!

Artwork featuring Michael Myers stood side-by-side with pieces featuring Wirt and Greg, the two wide-eyed half-brothers from Over the Garden Wall.  The exhibit included paintings, mixed media art, and photography.

The art inspired by Over the Garden Wall was magical. There were illustrations with smiling pumpkins, ethereal creatures, and mysterious forests. One room was dedicated to the series and decorated to make you feel as if you stepped into the woods.

Artists got really creative with the Halloween-inspired art. Some pieces showed Michael with his bloody knife. There was a 3D model of Michael Myers’ home with a miniature Michael looking out a window.

There was also a Halloween room, which I believe may be a permanent part of the gallery. In this space, one of the Halloween films was playing on a small flat screen; there were shots from the movies hanging on the walls; and a life-size mannequin of Michael was standing menacingly in one corner of the room.

The exhibit continued in the outdoor area with more art and décor. I couldn’t get enough of the autumnal vibes. There were pumpkins everywhere, and it all felt so enchanting.

Halloween Walking Tour

Now, SugarMynt is located right next door to the original Michael Myers house, and it’s in a part of the city where many of the Halloween movies were filmed. The gallery embraces this horror history and the Halloween franchise. On select weekends in October, they’re offering Halloween walking tours that take you to nearby spots where some of the movies were shot!

This was an unexpected part of my visit. I had no idea they were doing these tours, so of course I took advantage. Our tour guide, Gomez, is a Halloween expert and shared a ton of fascinating facts about several of the Halloween films, from the very first one to Halloween Ends.

He took our small group around the surrounding neighborhood, pointing out homes and areas that are in some of the movies. He also had photos from the films to compare what these spots looked like then and now.  Gomez was a treasure trove of information, and he even played the Halloween theme song as we walked. The music, slightly overcast weather, and the few drops of rain totally set the mood.

There was a Halloween festival going on at the same time with live music, food, and booths. We walked through the festivities as we carried on with our spooky excursion. Our tour guide shared that the neighborhood embraces its connection to the Halloween franchise. I could tell because many of the homes were decked out in the most spooktacular decorations, plus there was a huge Michael Myers statue holding a trick-or-treat bucket. Gomez also mentioned that on October 31st, thousands of people come to the area for trick-or-treating and celebrating!

The Original Michael Myers Home

Our tour concluded in front of the original Michael Myers home. This is the house where little Michael commits his first murder, killing his older sister Judith. The house was actually located down the street from its current spot, and it was almost demolished in the 90s.

Luckily, a man knew how iconic the structure was and got it moved to where it stands today. A couple of non-horror-related businesses have set up shop in the house, so you can’t just walk inside to explore and take pictures. But you can take as many photos as you want outside, which is what I made sure to do.

SugarMynt Gallery Visit Wrap-Up

This was my second visit to SugarMynt. It’s been a few years since my last time here when I checked out the Dacre Stoker lecture and vampire exhibit, and I’m so glad I came when I did. It happened to be my birthday, so it made my celebration all the more special.

The Pottsfield Meets Haddonfield exhibit is up until November 29th. As of the time I’m writing this, there’s only one more upcoming Halloween walking tour, which will be on October 31st. The tours are about 45 minutes and run every hour. Wear comfy shoes if you decide to do it and maybe bring an umbrella.

Where to Stalk

SugarMynt Gallery