Evil returns to 64th Street

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Thousands may visit popular Halloween spectacle

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By Cosmo Hadac

What started as a way to connect with her neighbors during the peak of the pandemic has become a Halloween attraction that brings several thousand people to the Clearing neighborhood.

In a 2022 photo, a costumed ghoul provides a bit of hell on wheels to terrorize passersby on 64th Street. –Supplied photo

Carnevil is now an annual event of epic frights and fun at 5716 W. 64th St. For months now Amanda Chaney-Phillips and her family have been building new props and set pieces for their lawn, adding new horror icons like Megan and The Terrifier to their roster of costumed characters, and adding current and classic pop culture pieces and putting a horror twist on them like a classic ice cream truck and Barbie.

As it did the previous year, the event will run on two weekends from 7-10 p.m. each day. On Oct. 13, 14 and 20, Carnevil will run as it did in its first year–with spectators walking and driving by the house and taking pictures.

On Saturday, Oct. 21, the curious will be encouraged to come out and walk around and enjoy the decor and characters up close. The street will be blocked off on the 21st for a block party-style celebration.

There will be several food trucks out, including first time participant Tropical Sno, which will be debuting special fall flavors for the occasion.

For the first time there will be a live band playing (Automatic Monster) with a mix of originals and covers of classic rock songs.

Additional parking is available at 65th and Menard.

An actor portraying Michael Myers from the classic slasher flick “Halloween” offers a dose of front-lawn fright in this 2022 photo. –Supplied photo

According to Chaney-Phillips, both Fridays last year attracted around 500 people and both Saturdays attracted over a thousand people. She expects the event to draw similar or higher numbers this year.

There is no admission charge to Carnevil, but a donation box will be available for those who want to help defray expenses. Also, there will be a raffle held with prizes from Stunod’s Pizzeria and Racine Bakery, among others.

Carnevil has reached such a zeitgeist within the neighborhood and beyond, Chaney-Phillips has had people compliment her event at work.

“I’m a hairstylist so I encounter people from all walks of life, children, men, women, and we’ll get to talking about anything and everything” said Chaney-Phillips. “I’ll tell them where I live and they’ll ask, ‘Hey are you the one who did the Halloween show?’ I’ve worked as far out as Hickory Hills and I’ll still have people asking about it.”