Thirty years of Halloween magic. Thousands of visitors. One wonderfully outrageous Santa Monica Halloween tradition. And now... THE RECKONING!

What does it take to transform a family home into an elaborate Halloween wonderland, year after year? Mountains of decorations, a few delightfully unhinged ideas, some last-minute miracles, and an extraordinary group of friends who make the impossible possible.

In this special 60th episode of Crazy Amazing Humans, hosts Katrina Carlson and Jefferson Denim celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Carlson Family Spooktacular, a beloved Santa Monica Halloween celebration that has brought generations of neighbors and families together.

This time, we're taking you behind-the-scenes to meet the extraordinary people who conjure the magic!

This wonderful annual event is the brainchild and labor of love for the community by both Katrina and Ken Carlson. Katrina, as you may know, is a musician, recording artist and our podcast host. Ken is a documentary filmmaker and our podcast producer. Together they become amazing creative Halloween masterminds! In this episode, Ken Carlson steps in front of the camera to join the conversation, along with three extraordinary members of the Halloween dream team.

First, meet Gregg Pusateri, Ken's longtime right-hand man, who has spent roughly two decades helping transform the Carlson home into a world of monsters, skeletons, pirate ships, fog machines, and fantastical Halloween scenes. Gregg takes us inside the enormous storage pods, reveals the challenges of keeping elaborate displays alive, and shares some hilarious tales of Halloween disasters, including a dragon with a very questionable wing.

Then Eddie Leavy and Kate Duffy join the party!

Eddie casts and manages the actors who bring the Halloween characters to life, while Kate oversees costume fittings and helps coordinate the production. Together, they reveal what happens behind the scenes when costumes don't cooperate, performers need replacing, and Halloween night is rapidly approaching.

From an emergency Cowardly Lion replacement to the outrageous rumor about a $10,000 golden ticket hidden inside a stuffed animal, there's no shortage of laughter, surprises, and Halloween mayhem.

But beneath all the monsters and mischief lies something far more meaningful.

For 30 years, the Carlson Family Spooktacular, also known as the Carlson Halloween Spooktacular, has been about creating joy, bringing people together, and giving back to the community. One of its most cherished traditions is handing out stuffed animals to children, a simple act of kindness that has created lasting memories for people of all ages.

In a particularly touching moment, Ken and Katrina share stories that reveal why these small gifts can mean so much.

In this episode, discover:

• How a Santa Monica neighborhood Halloween tradition grew into an enormous annual celebration.

• What it takes to build, repair, and operate an elaborate Halloween spectacle.

• The secrets behind the costumes, casting, characters, and live performances.

• Hilarious mishaps, spooky surprises, and last-minute Halloween emergencies.

• Why the tradition of giving stuffed animals has become so meaningful.

• How creativity, friendship, generosity, and community have kept the Halloween magic alive for three decades.

At Crazy Amazing Humans, we celebrate people who give their time, talent, and hearts to make the world a better place.

And sometimes, those Crazy Amazing Humans are the friends and neighbors who keep showing up, year after year, to create a little magic right where they live.

Join us for monsters, mayhem, memories, and THE RECKONING! Watch or listen to Episode 60 of Crazy Amazing Humans and meet the people behind 30 years of Halloween magic.

Hosted by Katrina Carlson and Jefferson Denim

Featuring Ken Carlson, Gregg Pusateri, Eddie Leavy, and Kate Duffy

Produced by Ken Carlson

Website, YouTube
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram

Janet McElligott explains Sudan's humanitarian crisis, the atrocities reported in El Fasher and why Sudanese survivors are still fighting to be heard. Her promise is simple: "I will speak until the world listens."

For more than four decades, Janet has worked across international politics, counterterrorism, conflict resolution and hostage negotiations. In this conversation with Katrina Carlson and Jefferson Denim, she brings Sudan's war into human focus through accounts of displacement, hunger, sexual violence, courage and survival entrusted to her by Sudanese people.

Producer and filmmaker Ken Carlson also recounts how his documentary The Heart of Nuba reached Sudan's former president and, according to the account Ken and Janet received, influenced a ceasefire in the Nuba Mountains. Janet shares how an emotional Facebook Live unexpectedly reached millions, why she created Sudan War Crimes and what she learned from survivors of El Fasher.

The conversation also reveals the dignity and generosity that persist beyond the headlines. Janet describes local volunteers feeding displaced families, explains why she wears pearls, silk and brocade into dangerous places, and challenges each of us to choose one need and make it 1% better.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• How The Heart of Nuba became part of an unexpected ceasefire story
• Why Janet says Sudanese people do not lack voices, but the world has failed to listen
• What survivors of El Fasher entrusted Janet to carry forward
• How Sudan War Crimes is working to preserve stories and evidence
• Why beauty and dignity matter in places shaped by war
• How one practical act can turn compassion into meaningful action

00:00 Sudan Is Speaking

02:06 The Heart of Nuba

13:08 Why the World Did Not Listen

22:38 Survivors of El Fasher

32:23 Courage Amid Crisis

43:45 Pearls, Purpose and Action

LEARN MORE AND TAKE ACTION:

Sudan War Crimes: https://www.sudanwarcrimes.com/

Vote for Janet in Next Runway Star through August 28, 2026, at 10:00 p.m. EDT: https://nextrunwaystar.com/2026/janet-mcelligott

Follow Janet on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanetLMcElligott

CONTENT ADVISORY: This episode discusses war, mass killing, sexual violence and violence against children. Some battlefield accounts and casualty estimates reflect Janet's sources and perspective at the time of recording and have not been independently verified by Crazy Amazing Humans. Listener discretion is advised.

Crazy Amazing Humans is hosted by Katrina Carlson and Jefferson Denim and produced by Ken Carlson. Music by Katrina Carlson.

CONNECT WITH CRAZY AMAZING HUMANS:

Website: https://katrinacarlson.com/the-podcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyamazinghumans/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazyamazinghumans/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/crazy-amazing-humans/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrazyAmazingHumans
Contact: crazyamazinghumans@gmail.com

If this episode encourages you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs hope and belonging right now. Don't forget to make sure you're following us at Instagram and also subscribe to our newsletter so that you'll know about this episode as well as the many crazy amazing humans featured in all of our episodes.

Thanks for being part of the Crazy Amazing Humans community. We appreciate you!

What really happens to all the untouched backstage food after a concert ends?

In this episode of Crazy Amazing Humans, Katrina Carlson and Jefferson Denim take you behind the scenes of major concert tours and festivals with Maria Brunner, longtime music industry executive and founder of Musically Fed. Her remarkable nonprofit rescues untouched catering from concerts, tours, festivals, sporting events and entertainment venues, delivering it to veterans organizations, shelters, domestic violence shelters, community agencies and people facing food insecurity.

Maria spent decades in the music industry, but it was losing her husband, a Vietnam veteran, that pushed her from noticing the waste to doing something about it. She wanted to build something productive out of her grief, so she started reaching out to the artists and promoters she already knew. U2 said yes. Then Kenny Chesney. Then Miranda Lambert started saving her own snacks between shows. One tour led to the next, and it grew into Musically Fed. Since it started, Musically Fed has rescued more than 870,000 meals and counting.

Maria shares stories from the decades she has spent backstage at major concerts and live events with artists such as U2, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, Zac Brown Band, Coldplay, Darius Rucker, Pitbull, Benson Boone, Noah Kahan, Journey, Ed Sheeran, Lollapalooza, the Hollywood Bowl, Innings Fest, Sueños and more.

With her working knowledge of the touring world, the catering logistics, the production schedules and the chaos that happens after the show ends, Maria was uniquely positioned to discover something that many people never think about. After sold-out concerts, tons of perfectly good, untouched food often goes to waste while nearby families, veterans and people in need wonder where their next meal would come from.

Hear how one act of practical compassion grew into a nationwide food rescue movement. Learn about the real work of food rescue such as how quickly meals must be packed and delivered, and why partnerships with chefs, caterers, promoters, venues, volunteers and local agencies matter so much.

If you're interested in the following: how food waste can be repurposed, hunger in America, food insecurity, veterans, sustainability, nonprofits, the music industry, concert tours, backstage stories, philanthropy or people using their talents to make the world better, then this episode is for you!

Crazy Amazing Humans is a podcast about people who rise above and lift others even higher. In every episode, we highlight inspiring people using their time, talent and resources to create hope, serve others and make a meaningful difference in the world.

Subscribe to Crazy Amazing Humans for more inspiring conversations with changemakers, nonprofit leaders, artists, advocates, authors, leaders and everyday humans doing extraordinary things.

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