Halloween 2018: Submit Your Haunt For Patch's Tour o' Scary Yards

It's that time of year again when goblins, crazy clowns, butchered bodies and zombie towns start popping up on lawns all across Orange County. Patch is compiling its annual Halloween list of yard haunts that are worth driving by and gaping. We're also interested in kid-friendly, whimsical Halloween-decorated yards where little ones aren't likely to be chased by a maniac with a chainsaw or have nightmares.

If your yard is worth a drive-by this Halloween, shoot us an email. We'll keep adding to the 2018 tour o' haunted yards leading up to Halloween, which this year falls on WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31. Please include the following information:

• We prefer that the homeowner submit his or her own yard, or an immediate neighbor or close relative.
• Include the exact address of the yard haunt.
• Let us know the dates and hours when your display will be available for viewing, so people aren't ringing your doorbell or bothering your neighbors in the middle of the night.
• Please don't submit a Halloween-decorated home you recall from five or ten years ago. That person may no longer be decorating their house for Halloween and we don't want people wasting gas.
• Does your yard haunt have a name, like 101st Street Massacre or Erie Acres? Be sure to include it.
• Tell us about any special effects, live actors, walk-throughs or other features that makes your yard haunt special.
• Does your display have a Facebook page or website? Be sure to include the links.
• Are you collecting at-will donations for a charity, food pantry or pet shelter? Let us know.
• Include a phone number (not for publication) in case Patch needs to contact you.
• Most important: what kind of Halloween candy are you passing out to trick-or-treaters?

We've been contacting people who've submitted their Halloween haunts from past years. We do our best to verify each address. If you've received an email from us, you're covered. This is for new haunts only. Try to get us your info by Oct. 4 for unveiling of the 2018 list. IMPORTANT: We're going to assume that Patch has permission to use every photo that is submitted for this feature.

Send your information and pictures to ashley.ludwig@patch.com. We'll be running the list and updating it every weekend through Halloween.

WAIT! THERE'S MORE: Check out our growing list for more yard haunts throughout the Orange County area: There's free fun to be had in the days leading up to Halloween, so set your GPS for these time-honored spooky standbys and newbies. You won't win anything except maybe bragging rights.

Photo: Ashley Ludwig, Patch Staff