It is that time of year to decorate your home and showcase it for the annual Halloween house drive-by.
Households can sign up to be a part of the drive-by list, with the decorated homes helping celebrate the Halloween season. Community members will have the opportunity to view the homes during the evenings of Friday, Oct. 28 through Monday, Oct. 31.
Coordinator Amy Velasco is currently taking sign-ups for those who are interested in showing off their decorating skills. Homes, businesses, porches, and lawns are all accepted as entries to showcase this year.
Currently over 40 houses are signed up, already surpassing last year’s mark and the sign-ups are still open.
Decorations must be up from the Friday through Monday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. time frame, since the drive by will mainly be during the evening hours.
It is not a decorating contest, Velasco stressed, but just a fun activity to spread the Halloween fun from block to block.
“COVID started the idea to do this, it was a way that families could get together and drive around the community and do something without it being face to face or being stuck in the house,” Velasco explained. “Most families look forward to this every year; they made it a family tradition.”
On Friday, Oct. 21 the drive-by list and map along with the viewing route will be publicly posted and the spooky Halloween fun will soon follow. Residents that take part not only get to show off their decorating skills but many also see an increase in their flow of trick-or-treaters.
“One house (owner) told me that before she signed up, she got three or four kids on Halloween night because she wasn’t in a popular neighborhood, but after she signed up she said more than triple the amount of kids showed up at her door the following Halloween,” noted Velasco.
The route of houses is offered to help create a smooth flow for the driving route from one end of town to the other instead of going back and forth across town.
This year, a Christmas decoration drive by viewing event is in the works as well.
All local residents interested in signing up for the Halloween house tour can text Velasco with their address and phone number, 209-840-2273.
