“Go big or go home” is a phrase we take to heart in New Orleans — ESPECIALLY when it comes to decorating.
After traversing the neighborhoods of the Bywater, Lower Garden District and Treme, we found some similar items among them all. One of which was skeletons, but also webs, streamers and more. And while we ALWAYS shop local first, there are some places you can hop to in order to get your haunting happening from the big stores nearby. Here’s what you need to know before heading out to a store in Phase 3-point-whatever.
The Home Depot
Photo: Clint Durrett
I know. A hardware store isn’t exactly where you would think to search for the type of decorations to create the most paranormal of porches, but they have a GIANT skelton we’ve seen in a lot of front yards in NOLA. And they have essentials on assembling things — glue, nails, staples, and tape. They also have special lighting for a spooky spectre.
Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 6 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Pandemic Mode: Masks required
Curbside Pickup
Checkout:
Plexiglass Partitions, Stickers indicating 6-feet apart
Walmart
Walmart doesn’t exactly scream local products, but you’ve definitely seen these decorations at Ghost Manor this year — spiders and GIANT SPIDERS! And I’ve seen these wall-clmbing skeletons at a number of home across the Crescent City! You can easily snag these up, along with a variety of fabrics, lights to use year-round and have a nice reusable decor for the holidays. Just imagine: Dress up your skeletons in carnival costumes climbing up your house to get to a balcony … or posing them hunting for the coveted commode.
Hours:
Monday – Sunday: 7 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Pandemic mode:
- Seniors: Every Tuesday, seniors can enter one hour early to shop
- Maks Required, plexiglass partitions at checkout
- Curbside pickup | Delivery
Party City
Nothing can top the spectacle of spectres and serial killers on the front of your porch like the macabre masks from Party City. Just look at those pics above from Hillbilly Hollow and the webbing from another home in the Bywater. These simple yet AWESOME skeletons and zombie-fied porches can be created by masks from Party City. The scariest part? Well, there isn’t one in Orleans Parish so you’ll have to have a sojourn in the Jefferson Parish for your paranormal purchasing. But after you grab your webs, masks and hit up Goodwill to give your cadavers the appropriate attire, you’ll have passersby stop with fright and fun and be the talk the block!
Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday-Monday: 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Pandemic mode:
Curbside pickup | Same Day Delivery
Michael’s
This place is all about crafts and they have special decorations just for Halloween. But inside, while you gather your ghouls, you can also pick up paints, feathers, sequence and ALL the glitter. This is an easy spot to grab your decorations for Halloween and re-use them for almost every holiday. When does glitter not work? This is the baseline for creating your costuming casket.
Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Pandemic mode: Masks required
Curbside pickup | Same day delivery offered
Checkout:
Plexiglass Partitions, Stickers indicating 6-feet apart
OK. These may not be the local joints, but plenty of locals are obviously finding the goods for ghoulish times and so can we. Let’s get our porches full of poltergeists!
