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Halloween Will Be Foam Free In Beverly Hills
The Witch's House today.
(
Courtesy Beverly Hills Historical Society
)
With its dilapidated exterior straight out of a spooky tale, Beverly Hills’ Spadena House, also known as the Witch’s House, has become a popular haunt for Halloween scare seekers.
In previous years, Beverly Hills Mayor Julian Gold says visitors have come to the house armed with silly string, shaving cream and hair removal products on Halloween night, giving the city’s police department some cause for concern.
This year, the city has imposed an annual ban on the foamy products. The ban applies to those under the age of 21 and will be enforced every year from 6 a.m. Oct. 31 to 6 a.m. Nov. 1. It would not impact those selling the products.
The backstory
The first instance of the ban goes back to Halloween 2020.
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When implementing restrictions on spooky celebrations to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the city included another rule: No spraying of shaving cream on another person, except by a barber.
With pandemic-era restrictions easing, the city saw an increase in the misuse of these items, resulting in injuries and damages to property, according to city documents.
Gold said with this ban, the city hopes visitors will still have a fun experience, but also protect public safety.
“We're going to have places clearly marked where if people do show up with any of these products, they can dump them so that they're not within the area of this Witch's House,” Gold said. ”People found with the product are just going to be asked to relinquish it so that they can go about their business and enjoy the moment, but without the product.”
While there is no penalty for those caught with the products, Gold said "we really do want to keep everybody safe and so if you do intend to come to Beverly Hills and share Halloween with us, just know what the rules are and come have a good time."
What's next
The city is beginning an education outreach campaign, which would include contacting the Beverly Hills Unified School District and the use of social media to highlight the ban.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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