Bruce Springsteen Cancels Annual Halloween Bash

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Oct 30, 2008

Sorry, kids, there will be no Halloween with the Boss this year. Bruce Springsteen says he won’t be throwing his annual Halloween bash at his New Jersey mansion this October 31 because of the event’s "catastrophic success.”

On Springsteen’s website, he writes:

"So as not to inconvenience you this Halloween, due to 'catastrophic success' (read: too many visitors for the neighborhood to handle) and concern for the safety of kids and parents, we won't be having our usual Halloween display this year in Rumson.

"We wish everyone a safe and Happy Halloween!"

Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa have put on their annual event for trick-or-treaters for about 20 years, Rumson Mayor John E. Ekdahl told Bloomberg. "In the early years, it wasn't this elaborate stage, it was just that he gave the biggest candy bars,” Ekdahl said. "It's probably within the last 10 years that it became elaborate to the point where it appears to me he had to hire someone from the outside to assist in creating this scene.”

In fact, in the last few years as many as 1,000 kids (and likely just as many dads looking for an autograph on their copy of Nebraska) attended the show, and a police officer had to be brought in to direct traffic.

"When he was in town, Bruce would personally distribute some of the candy. He seemed to get a kick out of it.” Ekdahl said.

Well, so much for Springsteen’s spirit in the night.

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