To the batpoles!: Halloween's all about family fun for country music's Jason Michael Carroll

October 24, 12:31 PMCountry Music ExaminerLisa L. Rollins

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Jason Michael Carroll & family make Halloween a monthlong celebration that includes a costume theme.

Courtesy of Jason Michael Carroll

For those wondering which country stars dive headfirst into the Halloween festivities, Arista Nashville recording artist Jason Michael Carroll deserves a spot at the top of the list, thanks to his theory that Halloween is not only for goblins and ghosts, but for families, too.

Granted, having youngsters around the home makes it more fun to indulge in the spooky fun that Oct. 31 brings, and for the North Carolina native, celebrating Halloween is nothing short of a family affair and one of his family's favorite times of the year.

"We always decorate our house early for the season," the country hit-maker shared in an online message to fans. "Every year, we pick out a few new decorations to add to our already large collection. The older the kids get, the scarier the decorations get."

Moreover, he continues, "Even though Halloween isn't until Oct. 31, we make it a monthlong celebration leading up to the big night. We always watch The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Addams Family and Hocus Pocus. We also have Halloween soundtracks on our IPods, too, like 'Monster Mash,' 'Ghostbusters,' 'Thriller,' and 'Nightmare On Elm Street.' My wife and I make Halloween all about the kids, and in doing so. it makes us feel a little like kids again, too."

Additionally, the Carroll clan has also taken to adopting themes, it seems, when it comes to choosing costumes--and it's a trend that seems to be extending from the singer-songwriter's immediate family to other family members. And this year, if all goes as planned, Carroll will be sporting a Caped Crusader outfit to lead his Halloween crew in their Batman-themed Halloween.

"We pick out our costumes months in advance, and try to go with some sort of theme," Carroll says. "Last year, we were Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Gang. This year, we are working on a Batman theme. Buying our costumes in advance gives us a chance to make them awesome! One of our good friends helps us with alterations. Even the grandparents, aunts and uncles are dressing up to fit with our theme this year!"

As for the young family's Halloween traditions, "While we're all getting our make-up and costumes on, we play the Michael Jackson 'Thriller' video on TV and the kids try to get all the moves down ... (and) then we're off to go trick-or-treating and wind up at my mom's house for food, because all that walking makes us hungry. The kids also hand out candy to the rest of the kids that show up while we're there."

Video view: To see Jason Michael Carroll chatting about Halloween around his home, simply view the video embedded below. To sample Carroll's chart-topping country music via his music videos, please click here.

• Related reading: Halloween's country side: Tommy Cash & The Statler Brothers share Oct. 31 tales and Who's that overzealous male fan? Steve Wariner shares favorite Halloween memories