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The irony of Flavor Flav hosting a Halloween party is that people actually dress in his everyday outfit for a celebration of this most dark of holidays.

The Public Enemy hype man and unlikely reality TV phenomenon arrived at the red carpet for the One Scary Nite Halloween party at the California Auto Museum with business partner Deon Taylor and retired Kings star Bobby Jackson. The trio hammed it up for the row of photographers, Flav flashing his gilded grill and trademark clock necklace while costumed party-goers yelled “Yeah boy!” as they filed into the horror-themed interior of the museum.

"I loved to go trick-or-treating when I was younger, but now I have kids so I take them," Jackson said. "I was gonna dress up as the hunchback but my costume was a little snug. I don't really have a favorite candy, but I do love Wathamacalits."

Inside, strobe lights cut through the darkness of the entrance where hired, professionally detailed ghouls with “Monster Staff” signs pinned to their backs dragged themselves around the room. Jason Vorhees sneaked behind unsuspecting victims and held his blood-drenched knife to their throats for photos while Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers rounded out the classic horror flick posse, aided by a small army of zombies in various states of decay.

A haunted hallway separated guests from the real action in the main room, where a massive dance floor lay in front of a stage equipped with a state-of-the-art DJ rig pumping club hits like Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface.” Werewolves and other such beasts shook their furry moneymakers with Playboy bunnies while go-go dancers grooved on three raised platforms on the floor.

Aside from the standard gruesome fare, more adventurous partiers traded comfort for creativity. The Master Chief from the wildly popular “Halo” video game series patrolled the room in full armor and weaponry, a Russell Crowe-style gladiator looked for combatants and a man with a huge stack of dollars with eyes on the top balanced on his shoulders was “the money you could be saving with Geico."

Co-host of the evening and “Good Day Sacramento” entertainment reporter Mark S. Allen stopped the party to say a few words.

“For a long time Sacramento needed a party like this,” Allen said. “Now we have one and it’s all thanks to you guys!"

Deon Taylor’s local enterprise bearing his name used a large screen hanging behind the stage to loop preview clips of the company’s “Nite Tales” TV series, a new horror program that will feature Flavor Flav essentially playing the same role as the Cryptkeeper from the classic “Tales From the Crypt” show.

The clock finally struck midnight and everyone converged on the center of the dance floor for what was promised to be a very special surprise performance. A red-suited Michael Jackson moonwalked onstage for a tribute to the sorely missed pop icon. Classics like “Billy Jean” and “The Way You Make Me Feel” were performed flawlessly, but the real highlight was a fitting rendition of “Thriller,” with the entire monster cast joining for the song’s famous choreographed dance sequence.

After the special entertainment exited, all eyes were directed up at a plastic bag full of $5,000 attached to the rafters of the museum. The bills rained down on the crowd in a flurry of green and were snatched out of the air and then scrambled for on the floor until the music kicked back on and everyone danced into the night with a bit more cash in their pockets.

Photos 1-7 by Jonathan Mendick.

Photos 8-14 by Cindy Saechao.

Interview quotes and press organization by Tina Armour, who got us on the red carpet.