Don’t miss the “No Mercy Cemetery” this Halloween season!
by Jean McCloskey
Inspired by a visit to Brent Ross’s now famous DC Cemetery on Bush Street, Old Mountain View resident, Dan Pitchford, began to thrill the neighborhood with his own cemetery nearly 7 years ago.
He has made the neighborhood a creepier place enjoyed by the old and young alike with his vision of community spirit. Visitors as old as 80 and as young as babies in strollers come by to enjoy his transformed lawn. His wife “loves it” and dresses up for the occasion. His friends come over to perform skits or act as monsters while Dan works the fog, smoke and music machines behind the scenes. Even the fire department has gotten in on the act. One year the fire engine pulled up and a concerned Dan went over to speak with them, afraid that his smoke machine was creating a problem. Turns out, they stopped by just to enjoy the fun.
Dan’s favorite thing is delighting the children. Comparing his cemetery to Brent’s, Dan says with a smile that Brent’s is very high-tech, his is more carnival style.
Thank you, Dan, you are a neighborhood treasure!
The No Mercy Cemetery is at the corner of Oak and Mercy Streets in Old Mountain View. It will be open October 23 through November 6.
