For St. Charles resident Mark Licht it starts when he takes down the Christmas decorations. That’s when he starts planning his next design for Halloween decorating. He’s built a giant pirate ship. He’s got skeletons too.
Licht and his family are preparing their annual spooktacular designs and scares for the St. Charles Park District’s annual Gallery of Ghoulish Homes Tour. Each year the St. Charles Park District invites residents to deck their lawns for Halloween and awards honors and bragging rights to the best decorated homes.
“It continues to be a very popular event,” Recreation Supervisor Abby Fleming said. Fleming helps manage the event for the St. Charles Park District.
Last year there were 50 homes in the decorating contest. Visitors can view the homes this year during the judging, Oct. 17 and 18, where some even include live actors who add to home theme and scares.
Fleming explained the park district creates a list and a guide that can be downloaded to find the homes registered in the contest. In addition to the judges’ awards for eeriest haunt with or without actors, best use of technology and the rookie award for a newcomer to the contest, the community can vote for People’s Choice award.
Licht estimates he’s made about 80% of his Halloween decorations, enjoying the creative process of building and designing.
“We keep adding to it,” he said.
His first year of decorating he won the Rookie of the Year award, and he was hooked. Allen said he’s always enjoyed decorating for the holidays, but the home tour competition was the nudge he needed to take it to the next level.
“I need to do something creative,” Licht said, adding that he and his wife are also in the cover band, Smash.
Creativity is also the driving force for Dana Fortunato who started decorating her family home in 2020.
“I grew up always into Halloween. My mom would sew us homemade costumes,” Fortunato said. “I never learned how to sew. I hot glue things.”
By day she’s an attorney. Starting around July she spends her nights and weekends working on the decorations for Halloween.
“It’s good to have a creative outlet,” she said.
Her Halloween decorating has included scary, silly, even sweet with last year’s Day of the Dead theme that included an ofrenda to honor a family member that passed earlier in the year.
“It was really meaningful. I even included a QR code so people could learn about it,” Fortunato said.
Her family’s hard work has paid off with honors including the People’s Choice award and a judge’s award too.
“I love being the Halloween house on my street,” Fortunato said.
While she loves decorating her home, she and her son try to make a night to see the other decorated homes in the contest too.
“I love that there are so many people in the contest,” Fortunato said. “I love getting out to see the different participants.”
For Licht’s decorating, there’s lights, music and the chance to show off his building skills too.
With elaborate building and decorating, Licht said his three-car garage is now a one-car garage. Each year friends and neighbors can’t wait to see what he’s created to decorate the lawn.
“I love doing it. I start Labor Day weekend with the set up,” he said. “We invite friends and they look forward to this all year.”