Creep It Real OC Grows Into a Spooky Orange County Tradition

Jessica Peralta
8 hours ago
7 min read

Halloween shopping, entertainment and fun return to the Heritage Museum in Santa Ana this month.

A masked attendee at the first Creep It Real OC, which took place at Sea Country Senior and Community Center in Laguna Niguel in 2019. Photo by Jessica Peralta, Culture OC

It started as a one-day event at a Laguna Niguel senior center in 2019 with 48 vendors and more than 400 attendees.

This year’s Creep It Real OC runs over three days – Sept. 12-14 – at Heritage Museum of Orange County in Santa Ana, with thousands of guests expected. The founders behind the event, Rancho Santa Margarita husband-wife team Kevin and Megan Valantine have also since added Creep It Real Festive for the holiday season, which is in its fourth year and running Nov. 21-23.

“In 2020, we knew we needed to find a bigger location but COVID shut us down on the very day we were taking a tour of the Heritage Museum of Orange County,” Megan said. “That was such a wild time. That year we did an online event. Then in 2021 we were one of the first events to come back in person because we were outside. It’s definitely grown by a lot each year with now thousands of people in attendance over the weekend. We’ve also added days to meet the demand. Last year our event was two days and we sold out on the Tuesday before. This year we added a third day to allow more people a chance to come check us out.”

The first Creep It Real OC took place at Sea Country Senior and Community Center in Laguna Niguel in 2019. Photo by Jessica Peralta, Culture OC

The idea for Creep It Real evolved from the couple’s love of Halloween and background in events work. A friend of theirs, who is now part of their crew, approached them with the idea of doing a Halloween-focused event at a venue that he was involved with at the time. It all grew from there.

“I have loved Halloween for as long as I can remember,” Megan said. “I have (the) fondest memories around Halloween time. I think it’s because my birthday is during Halloween time. Kevin truly started loving it when he met me. He had a lot of fond memories growing up, like being dressed up as Donald Duck. His mom always had her house decorated for Halloween.”

Creep It Real OC and Festive have grown into vibrant marketplaces where Halloween and horror vendors can showcase their products and haunted attractions can promote upcoming shows. They also create space for performers, scare actors, cosplayers and celebrities to connect. The ever-growing community of Halloween and horror fans now has a local hub in Orange County, rather than having to travel to Los Angeles for events like these.

This year’s Creep It Real OC theme is “Afterlife’s A Beach” – a creepy beach theme with live spooky surf rock bands, themed photo ops, characters and activities. “Goosebumps” author R.L. Stine is this year’s headliner, scheduled on Sunday, Sept. 14 with an event called “Open Book with R.L. Stine: A Career Discussion with the Legendary Author.”

The weekend will feature Los Pakalolos (a surf rockabilly punk band) and Surfwax Ghost (with spooky surf/punk/pop vibes). There will be a costume parade called “Creep On: Boardwalk Crawl” each night at 7 p.m., an immersive experience called “Creep It Real OC’s Enchanted Freaky Tiki Room” and a walk through the haunted Victorian Kellogg House with a jack-o-lantern jamboree from Night of the Jack, a Los Angeles-based Halloween event. Guests can also see unique stop-motion art on display by Unwrapped Art and a Victorian Halloween tea party display by The Vogel Victorian in Santa Ana.

In November, Creep It Real Festive has a “Twilight” theme of “twiLight Up The Season.” There will be celebrity meet-and-greets with “Twilight” cast members Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen), Peter Facinelli (Dr. Carlisle Cullen) and Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen). Greene will attend Saturday and Sunday, and Lutz and Facinelli will be there all three days. Fan favorites the Scareolers and Kitty Antix will perform live all three nights. There will be a haunted attraction, a special display from Fear Farm and more.

“This event is a spooky holiday theme with an invasion of vampire characters, great food and live music topped with visits by stars from the ‘Twilight’ movie series,” Megan said.

PHOTO 1: A pumpkin decoration from 2024's Creep It Real Festive. PHOTO 2: Creep It Real Festive melds Halloween and Christmas time vibes. PHOTO 3: Cosplay is a component of Creep It Real Festive. Photos by Jessica Peralta, Culture OC

Mike and Dawn Stanley of Aliso Viejo, run an elaborate yard display during the Halloween season at their home, called Stanley Haus. They’ve been providing prop decor for Creep It Real events for five years.

“We met Megan and Kevin at our Haunted Mansion home haunt and ended up becoming fast friends after talking for a long time that night,” Dawn said. “That same year, they invited us to bring our props to the event to decorate the Kellogg House. From that moment on, we were hooked, it was such a natural fit because we all share the same passion for spooky creativity.”

She said for the first couple of years they provided props from their own home display, but now build based on ideas Megan and Kevin have.

“It’s become a tradition to bring their visions to life,” Dawn said. “It’s both fun and challenging to come up with the next big prop – they keep us on our toes in the best way possible.”

Dawn said Creep It Real events are a great way to bring the spooky community together and also to introduce new people to it.

“Before Creep It Real, Orange County really didn’t have anything quite like this at such a high level,” she said. “It’s not only fun, but it also supports local small businesses, gives artists and creators a platform, and shines a spotlight on a beautiful historic venue."

Lauren Kula, owner of The Punkin Shop, started vending with Creep It Real OC in 2023.

“I discovered Creep It Real OC through the Halloween community – it felt like a natural home for my spooky shop. The moment I stepped into the event, I knew it was the perfect place to share the cozy-spooky magic of The Punkin Shop,” she said. “I vend my products at the shows, but it feels like so much more than that – it’s about creating an experience, connecting with fellow Halloween lovers and celebrating that shared sense of nostalgia and magic.”

She said Creep It Real OC has helped introduce The Punkin Shop to many new people and it’s also given her a chance to connect face-to-face with people who love Halloween as much as she does.

“Events like this are lifelines for small businesses,” she said. “They give us a chance to showcase our work in a setting that truly celebrates creativity, community and passion.”

Last year's Creep It Real OC was themed "Nostalgic." Photo by Jessica Peralta, Culture OC

Heritage Museum weddings and events coordinator Kaitlyn Lizzarago said it’s been great to see how important this event has become to the community.

“I love being able to welcome both new and returning guests to the museum. I was also a huge fan of ‘Twilight’ as a teen, so I’m definitely looking forward to Creep It Real Festive,” Lizzarago said. “I hear all the time from folks that they’ve lived in Orange County their whole lives and had never heard of us. An event like Creep It Real, that brings 3,000 visitors to the museum each day, helps us get the word out about who we are and what we are trying to accomplish here. Event guests often fall in love with the property, and we see them return as wedding clients, volunteers and donors. As a nonprofit organization that relies heavily on our volunteers and donors, we are always looking to create those lasting relationships with members of our community.”

Creep It Real has also donated some of the proceeds from its events to help improve the museum, according to Megan Valantine.

“Last year we donated $5,000, which is what they needed to finish funding their new Kellogg House roof,” she said. “So, it is truly a mutually beneficial partnership.”

The Kellogg House on the Heritage Museum grounds gets a fun, decorative makeover for Creep It Real OC. Photo by Jessica Peralta, Culture OC

Darcy Staniforth is paranormal coordinator for the Heritage Museum and director of tour operations and ghost host for Haunted Orange County. She said during Creep It Real Festive, she (along with fellow ghost host Tina Davidson) leads haunted, historical tours of the Kellogg House.

“My first Creep It Real was in 2023, and I've only seen both events grow and gain popularity over the past few years,” she said. “I love that Creep It Real brings together different people from the spooky communities. And Orange County needs events like this because while we are close to Los Angeles, it's not always feasible for people to attend events in Los Angeles. I also love that it brings new people to the Heritage Museum of Orange County, which is a true hidden gem.”

Kevin Valantine said they’re very appreciative to the community and feel lucky to have the opportunity to showcase their unique take on the season with so many fans.

“This all started with a small, one-off event where people asked, ‘When are you doing this again?’” he said. “Since then, we’re simply responding to the fuel that the guests give us and we see no end in sight.”