There is a town in Madrid that is scary, very scary. Even if it's just one day a year. Actually, one night. In Paracuellos de Jarama (Madrid, Spain), Halloween is celebrated in a big way, in the purest American style. And this is not said lightly. Because here, just like there, not a single neighbor fails to bring out the broom, transform their clothes into blood-splattered rags, or reveal their skeleton. There is not a house that is not disguised. Nor a child who, in their terrifying innocence, goes out to trick or treat dressed in the Spanish version. This October 31st, the municipality will go even further with this celebration, which only continues to grow year after year and has become an unparalleled tourist attraction.
Popular initiative has caused the name of this town to resonate not only in the Community of Madrid but also throughout Spain. A decade ago, residents like Luis Carrasco started offering an extra experience to children who came to ask for candy at their doorstep. "It all started by accident. I created a passage of terror in the garden of my house. People started coming, and we didn't stop all night," recalls this resident of Paracuellos, the pioneer of giving scares and the most awarded.
Drawing inspiration from horror movie characters, such as the exorcist girl or Freddy Krueger, or recreating a cemetery, a creepy circus, and a psychiatric ward, he has terrified the town's residents in recent Halloweens. "Every year we set up a different experience for the neighbors. This year it's based on the zombie series The Last of Us. We have added sound, light, and smells to make it more immersive," says this resident, who spends half a year thinking about the scenes and two months bringing them to life. "It has to be something special and it has to be scary," he justifies. Up to 20 actors - read as family and friends - participate in his passages, which have had up to an hour of waiting at the doors of his home and have also triggered the contagion, as many neighbors have followed in his footsteps, giving rise to a terrifying boom that dates back to the last five or six years.
In this edition, there will be up to seven homemade passages of terror, in private homes in the town, joined by two others promoted by the City Council, which, seeing the neighborhood initiative, has decided to create a zombie nuclear attack (for children aged 5-12) and a magical and mysterious world inspired by Harry Potter that will take viewers, like in a thriller, through five scenarios: a secret chamber, a cemetery, a greenhouse, a cell, and a magical classroom (for ages 10 and up in the underground area of the City Council).
So much so, that to ensure no one gets lost, a terror map has been created marking these passages and the more than 40 single-family homes that offer a special trick or treat. Together, they will distribute over 1,000 kilos of candies.
Additionally, to further enhance the legend of Halloween, the municipal government has organized various parallel activities, starting days before and ending days after. Yesterday, the First Horror Story Contest for Young People took place, and today, there are family activities planned to create decorations. Tomorrow will be the Second Popular Terrifying Tapas Contest (snack), with up to 150 residents participating. And after October 31st, through photos, winners will be chosen for the best family costume, best store decoration, best passage of terror, best facade decoration, and best terrifying door.
The City Council has also involved businesses, especially hospitality establishments, in this celebration. They have created a route with 12 terrifying tapas that can be enjoyed from Halloween night until November 3rd. Additionally, three food trucks (until November 3rd) have been set up to avoid overcrowding in the town's bars, as last year saw over 1,200 visitors from outside Paracuellos, and this year the number is expected to exceed 3,000.