In every city, there are certain streets that become famous for their holiday celebrations, drawing crowds of participants. Among the best neighborhoods in Las Vegas for Halloween treats is Anthem Country Club in Henderson, and, more specifically, Plum Hollow.
Plum Hollow is a neighborhood of about 55 homes within Anthem Country Club. Of course Anthem is a guard gated golf course community,
so you have to know someone to gain access. But if you do, it is a Halloween
bonanza!
It all started when the four residents of Darcy Court (a
smaller cul de sac inside Plum Hollow) decided to get together and elaborately decorate
their homes with a theme, Spooky Hollow. Word quickly spread, and after only a couple
of Halloweens, it was THE hottest place in town and the cul de sac had to be
cordoned off to cars. It has now become a neighborhood tradition and one
gigantic block party.
My personal favorite was the "Haunted High"
Halloween. One front yard sported a high school football field complete with
goal posts and yard markers. There were life size skeletons dressed up in
football jerseys in the midst of a scrimmage. The next yard over featured the
high school prom. The prom skeleton king and queen sat on thrones surrounded by
their skeleton prom court, all in formal prom attire. You get the picture.
How insane is it? A resident of Plum Hollow can expect to
get about 1,000 Trick or Treaters of all ages. That is NOT a typo. Literally
about 1,000! They come in carloads, busloads and vanloads, by golf carts, scooters
and bikes. The Homeowner's Association
in Anthem has even seriously considered giving the residents of Plum Hollow an
annual stipend to help pay for the candy.
How do I know all this? I live right on the corner at the
entry to Plum Hollow. I am the first house hit by the candy munchkins each year.
Last year one of my friends who lives at
the far end of the street had purchased 800 Rice Crispy Treats to distribute.
She ran out by 7pm and had to shut off her lights.
About four years ago, we tried to hold a Halloween party at
our house for about 80 people. We spent three weeks decorating, and constructed
a spooky Bat Cave with rolling mist at the entry to our home for guests to
enter through. Before we knew it, our
front courtyard was a sea of bodies and no one could get in or out. Complete
strangers (mostly older teenagers) were walking through our home, eating the
food, helping themselves to drinks, and dancing to the band. We had to escort
them out, politely but firmly, and finally station a "guard" at the
front door.
Of course, if you are considering buying a home in Anthem
and are not super crazy about Halloween, you might want to skip Plum Hollow.
But the good news is, the other neighborhoods in Anthem get a more traditional
flow of Spidermen, lady bugs and fairy princesses, anywhere between 30 to 50
kids. I still get a kick out of it, and it's only one night a year. And when we want to take a break, we can
always just go out to dinner and a movie for the evening.
