Halloween hype: More N.B. houses pulling out all the tricks with spooktacular yard displays

Homeowners put on spooktacular displays and spread Halloween spirit.

When it comes to decorating for Halloween, more and more people in New Brunswick are doing their best to ensure their property is among the spookiest in town.

There are those who still elect to put out nothing more then a simple pumpkin or jack-o-lantern, while others maybe have a fun inflatable or scary animatronic displayed on their lawn.

But then there are those taking it a step further by creating scary and spooktacular scenes on their property, and it’s a trend that is seemingly becoming more popular by the year.

“We definitely didn’t have anything like this as a kid,” one adult told CTV while enjoying a Halloween display with friends and family. “(It’s) awesome for the kids and awesome for the owners of the home that they would put this on for the community.”

In Saint John, more houses than ever have pulled out all the tricks to make their yards must-see over the Halloween season. Many homes now feature dozens of scary animatronics, spinning spider webs, ghastly ghouls and everything in between.

One of the port city’s more well-known displays lies at the end of Whelly Court, better known to locals as Dead End Driveway.

This is the fifth year Rose-Anne Comeau and Ryan Steele have set up their driveway with many of the classic horror characters, like IT and Chucky.

“I always wanted to be that house,” says Comeau. “Bringing the kids in and hearing the screams and the laughs is awesome.”

“We never dreamt it would grow into what it has,” says Steele, noting hundreds of people routinely come to check out the drive every weekend.

The couple says they have created a list to let people known about all the great displays in the Greater Saint John area, including their driveway.

Like other sites, Dead End Driveway doesn’t charge anything for people who want to come see the spooky setup, but they are collecting food for the foodbank.

Harrowing Halloween displays have become a popular trend all across New Brunswick. Haunted Chapel Flats in St. Martins is a spooky, and at times frightening, setup – those features hundreds of decorations, animatronics, lighting effects, a spooky trail, and various themed displays on the rural property.

“The biggest reason that we do it really is just to see the smiles on the kids’ faces, and even adults,” owner Chesley Taylor says. “We have grown adults who come through without children that love it, and it makes you feel like a kid again.”

There is also those who are the talk of their more urban neighbourhoods. In Riverview, the home with all the Halloween fun belongs to Kevin Whittaker.

“People will walk down the street on the 30th of September wanting to know when does it go up,” he says. “We can’t wait. And then I see them every day for the rest of the month.”

“At times, it can be a lot of work. Putting it out takes a lot of time, (it) takes two days but building it is fun. I enjoy it, it kind of gives me peace,” Whittaker adds.

“To see it grow and see all the laughs and scares, it is a thank you to the community for doing it as well,” Steele says.

And with a few days left until Halloween night, there is still plenty of time to see all the harrowing displays for yourself.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Derek Haggett.

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