Finding a permanent home for the haunted house they started with their father has added significance for Mike Barrera and Christian Gaspar.<\/p>\n
Abel Barrera was homeless growing up in Redding. Gaspar, who was a classmate of Mike Barrera, was homeless and living in a car with his mother before being taken in by the Barrera family. Given this history, the Barreras in 2013 conceived of the Bernal Scream, a free show in the\u00a0backyard of the family home on Bernal Road in San Jose for low-income families who couldn\u2019t afford other\u00a0haunted attractions.<\/p>\n
By 2016, the attraction had outgrown the confines of the backyard, so the Bernal Scream set up in the parking lot of Westfield Oakridge Mall, where thousands of dollars\u2019 worth of haunted house equipment was stolen just days before Halloween. The Barreras knew it would take years to be able to open again, but they were up to the task.<\/p>\n
Sadly, Abel Barrera wouldn\u2019t live to see the reopening; he succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2021.<\/p>\n
Mike Barrera and Gaspar staged a comeback in 2023 with \u201cLucifer\u2019s Wrath,\u201d which they set up in the parking lot of a former Marie Callender\u2019s restaurant on Blossom Hill Road. That show was followed in 2024 by \u201cSoul Shredder,\u201d which was staged at the Almaden Plaza shopping center.<\/p>\n
Also in 2024, Barrera and Gaspar established Scream Proud, partnership with HomeFirst, a Santa Clara County-based nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness in the Bay Area.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s show, \u201cForbidden Symphony,\u201d kicked off on Sept. 19 at its new permanent home at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds with volunteers from the fairgrounds, HomeFirst and the Bernal Scream coming together to assemble housewarming kits for homeless individuals from San Jose\u2019s Columbus Park encampment who recently found safe and supportive housing through the City of San Jose and HomeFirst.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first time in over 20 years we\u2019ve had a haunted house have their home here at the fairgrounds,\u201d Salene Duarte, executive director of the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Management Corporation, said at the event.<\/p>\n
Scream Proud was established to honor Gaspar\u2019s late mom, Maria De Los Angeles Gaspar, and Abl Barrera for \u201chis deep commitment to community service,\u201d Gaspar said.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s activity with HomeFirst resonates deeply with me,\u201d Gaspar continued. \u201cLiving homeless with my mom, jumping from shelter to shelter, Scream Proud is so much more to us. It means that together we can make a difference, and together we can all rise above.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u201dFinding a permanent home at the fairgrounds feels like a true homecoming for me,\u201d said Mike Barrera in a release. \u201cI\u2019ve been coming here since I was a kid. \u2026 My father\u2019s dream of providing joy to those who needed it most continues to inspire us every day. This new chapter is a tribute to his vision and a heartfelt way for us to honor his legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cForbidden Symphony\u201d runs through Nov. 2 at the fairgrounds\u2019 Gateway Hall. Attendees are encouraged to bring clothing donations for HomeFirst clients; donation bins will be available on site. Additionally, the Bernal Scream will be donating tickets to schools, as well as to low-income and special needs communities.<\/p>\n