U.S.WEIRD NEWS
Hometown of ‘Addams Family’ creator becomes ghoulish Halloween destination
Westfield, New Jersey, home of cartoonist Charles Addams, is hosting a month of Addams-themed events including a masquerade ball and a spookiest front lawn contest; locals once shrugged.
On air: Kenji Moonfield, Dr. Nina Byte and Hank Ledger on BBN After HoursPublished
Watch it as it aired: Kenji Moonfield, Dr. Nina Byte and Hank Ledger on this story, from BBN After Hours at 3:15 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are AP News's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by AP News: “Hometown of ‘Addams Family’ creator becomes ghoulish Halloween destination”, with reporting from AP via 104.5 WOKV and Click On Detroit (AP).
- Covered on BBN on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 3:15 AM ET on BBN After Hours, by Kenji Moonfield, Dr. Nina Byte and Hank Ledger.
- Topics: Halloween.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- AP NewsHometown of ‘Addams Family’ creator becomes ghoulish Halloween destination
- AP via 104.5 WOKVHometown of ‘Addams Family’ creator becomes a Halloween destination - 104.5 WOKV October 29, 2026 · facts used on air
- Click On Detroit (AP)Hometown of ‘Addams Family’ creator becomes ghoulish Halloween destination October 29, 2026 · facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorWestfield, New Jersey, is the hometown of cartoonist Charles Addams, and this month the town is going all in on it with an art exhibit, a masquerade ball and a spookiest front lawn contest.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentAddams drew his macabre style from Westfield's Victorian homes and its historic cemetery, where gravestones date to the early seventeen hundreds and he explored as a child.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA kid wandering a graveyard in the seventeen hundreds section and turning it into a franchise. That's the best content origin story I've heard.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorOrganizer Dawn Mackey, a former town councilor who helped found AddamsFest, admits there was skepticism at first.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorQuote, a lot of people didn't even know he was from here.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThey didn't know?
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNow one visiting family has a three-stop itinerary: Salem, Sleepy Hollow, and Westfield. That's a real horror triple crown.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorResident Kelly Heuschkel says people here decorate more for Halloween than for Christmas. Kenji, what does ghoulish mean, exactly?
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentIt means your Hank fan page has more followers than me, and I'm scared.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorI regret asking.
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Photo: DUNCAN KIRK · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Montclair Film · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Thursday, October 29, 2026 · the U.S. archive · all months
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