How it Started: Rotting Orchards

The name that started our story came from our roots. We began in a dreamy oasis of Silicon Valley over 10 years ago now. The land was an apricot orchard in its last life. When looking for our haunt name, even as super amateurs, I knew there was great power in a name. Especially when you're broke. Not to mention we had huge dreams of becoming local legend.

I could not show Mike the magic of Halloween without making it. I wanted to show my childhood spark and build a dream together. Come to find out he also had been touched by the love for a haunt. Why can't we be the legend a child tells their friends about when comparing childhoods? Why can't we inspire future haunters?

It was the end of the second September in our rental home and we were broke. I gathered every pallet, door and scrap of wood I could find as Mike was off making our first electric prop. The neighborhood of tech commuters and O.G. 1950's house wives were abuzz. Every day people passed to see what was growing and I would get caught up in conversation. The firey 89 year old angel across the street was so excited to see action happening across the way and the yard filled with lights. She was legally blind and didn't get out much anymore so I loved to go hear her stories.

My angel, Adeline, was the source of information on the land's history and better yet she and her daughter were cleaning out a bit and giving away old rusty farm equipment. Mike asked what our theme should be and I said, farm. Why, almost anything can happen on a farm, it's classic, and farm was a much cheaper (sometimes free) aesthetic than the Victorian mansion theme currently in vogue at the time. Next, Mike asked about a name. Being in Silicon Valley branding was very important and I am no naming wizard. I wanted to honor the past and make it creepy, hence Rotting Orchards was born.