Halloween is over – now it’s time to assess the damage, which there might be a lot of if you were expecting thousands of trick-or-treaters. We visited one neighborhood to see what’s attracting all the kids, and found that a lot of it has to do not with costumes nor candy, but with the houses themselves.
Shenandoah Park Avenue is one of the few well-known “Halloween Streets” in Utah. It may just be one day of the year, but Karen Bangerter and Doug Eskelson have been prepping since October 1st, when they put a bowl of candy in the yard for kids to enjoy the entire month. According to Karen, they regularly stop by on their way home from school to grab a few pieces from the witch who guards the bowl.
When he first started decorating his house, Doug only had about 75 trick or treaters the entire night. Over the years, however, the effort he’s put into marketing his house has paid off. He said last year they had around 3,000 visitors, and an entire room full of their candy bar supply.
You could say they’ve dug their own grave. It’s their ghosts, ghouls, and good hospitality that keeps the kids coming by the masses. Doug said he’s trying to give them the experience he had as a kid.
“I don’t want it to die. There are too many people who trunk-or-treat in church parking lots. That’s not the way I grew up,” said Doug.
The other neighbors have started to follow suit. But not all of them are scary; one house boasted black light and neon Trollz decorations, drawing toddlers and teenagers alike by the dozens.
Whether your Halloween is sweet or scary, Doug said we should keep the trick-or-treating tradition alive.
