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Above:
A shot of Ari's front lawn taken weeks
ago in a still early stage of preparations for the
Mischief Night in Margate City, New Jersey that
finally arrived Saturday night (October 28).
Below:
On the night of the big show the home was
taken over by all manner of ghosts and goblins,
including the scariest apparition of them all - disco
dancers brought back to life decades after we
thought they had been dead and buried in the 1970s!
Above:
Ari Goldberger, clearly possessed by the spirit
of John Travolta,
ready to lead his minions in reeking havoc in
Margate City, New Jersey.
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We connected with
Ari to find out what compelled him to
welcome hundreds of hard core Halloween
aficionados into his home. "I have always
enjoyed throwing parties and doing events,"
he explained. "As a kid, I organized
carnivals for charity, and always organized an
end of the year surprise party the last day of
school. In high school, I organized dances. As
an adult, I’ve thrown some fun and elaborate
parties like the 50th anniversary of the moon
landing in 2019, my son’s Bond-themed
Goldberger bar mitzvah, and the Safari with
Ari jungle theme party last summer"
"I love surprising
people, bringing joy and happiness
to others and sharing in it. Planning these
events is how I express my creativity, engage
with the world, and fully self-actualize.
It’s who I am." |
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Ari added,
"Halloween is the perfect setting for
a special event. Not only do I do a fun party
but I decorate the outside of the house. This year
was especially over the top and hundreds of
visitors have come from near and far to see it.
I’ve been amazed at the appreciation and
admiration expressed by so many. The looks of awe on
kids and adult faces makes all the hard work
worthwhile. I worked at least 6 to 8 hours every
non-rainy day since September. But it’s fun
for me. It’s play!" 
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Above:
A good doorman is hard to find
these days but Ari got this guy to work
cheap because he was just laying around
(actually laying underground) doing
nothing anyhow!
At
right and below: Even ghosts, ghouls, goblins
and monster have got to eat and
people who go to Ari's parties never go home
hungry.
"What
I’ve learned from all of the visitors is everyone
loves Halloween because it’s for
everyone, regardless of religion,
ethnicity or political view,' Ari said.
"It shows that we have lots in common.
Everyone loves candy, even if some prefer
Mounds to Almond Joy. It teaches us that we
can be happier together as fellow
citizens if we remember that. This is a
foundation to teach us that we are
stronger when unified along those core
basic principles of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness in which we all
share." |
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Above:
Of course, there is such a thing as too much food,
drink and frivolity
as some of the guests who wound up in the pool
learned the hard way! Below:
Still, most carried on in the proud tradition of Scarlett
O'Hara
and danced the night away declaring, "I will
think about that tomorrow!' 
While
Ari left no stone unturned to make sure guests had
an unforgettable time, he had much more in mind than
just fun when producing Saturday night's event.
"We have allowed our greatest strength, our
diversity, to be turned against ourselves as
a weapon to divide and weaken us. The power is
in our unity and common celebrations like Halloween
can be a metaphor for how we get back to enjoying
this great country together, seeking unity on things
with which we agree and celebrate. We can come together, just like we
do for trick or treat. No one asks who you voted for
before they drop a treat in your child’s
bag!"
In
pursuit of that mission Ari made sure there was
something for everyone to enjoy Saturday night,
including horse drawn carriage rides around
Margate City (below).
Above:
there was even a photo booth where every
guest could have a picture taken as a memento from
the big night. Below are some film strips featuring
some of the colorful faces in the crowd.
There
were several well-known figures from the domain
industry in the crowd. At far right in the third row
above is attorney Brett Lewis who arrived as
his hilarious alter-ego Mulletman! At far
right below is veteran domain investor/developer Steven
Kaziyev. We have to think people were a bit
surprised that stylish Steven didn't bother to dress
up for the party, rather than just showing up in his
every day attire!
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Asked
for his assessment of how everything went,
Ari said, "I’m amazed. We had
425 guests. It was smooth as can be. We
had 4 bars to spread out the crowd. Guests
were given one of four colored l wristbands
which were associated with designated bars.
I decorated the outside and inside, having removed
all the furniture from the first floor.
The party flowed from front yard to tented
driveway, to backyard to first floor to
basement."
"People
loved it, most were amazed and had never
seen anything like it. That was my goal
and I accomplished it. Of course, I had help
from a bunch of friends. Thanks to Bill,
Steve, Marla, Maddie, Andy, Joey, Maz,
Justin, Bill the DJ and the amazing staff at
Foodarama caterers!"
With
Ari's admitted obsession with exceeding
people's expectations, we asked him what he
could possibly to do top top himself next
year. "Next year year will be even
better!" Ari declared. "The
problem is I think more than a thousand will
want to comes, so I may do a
fundraiser." |
When
it comes to throwing a party,
Ari does not clown around! |
As
we noted in a DNJournal
Cover Story about Ari, written way back
ih 2006, fundraising for charity is something
he has been doing since he was a kid, so that could
certainly happen. Still, given Ari's propensity for
springing surprises, there is no telling what he
will come up with next!
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