South Elgin family goes all out for Halloween decorating competition

The Licht family transforms their house at 695 Oak Lane in South Elgin every year into an award-winning frightful display for the community.

Mark Licht said he has been decorating his entire life and this is his sixth season competing with other homes as part of the St. Charles Park District’s Halloween decoration contest, the Gallery of Ghoulish Homes Tour.

Licht began competing after learning of the competition when his neighbor won an award. The Licht display has won awards in at least one category in each of the five years the family has competed, including Best Rookie, Craftiest Creeper, Family Fun, Judges Favorite and Best Actors.

Licht said his passion for decorating started with Christmas, but he found Halloween to be more fun.

Licht estimated the family spends at least $1,000 on the display every year. He said while he loves the giant pieces the department stores sell, the uniqueness of their display comes from handcrafted items. He said 80% of the decorations in their display are handmade.

The Lichts’ display features a light show set to music and live actors. They constructed a pathway along the side of their house and costumed family members who are hidden jump out and scare those brave enough to enter.

Licht equips himself with a chainsaw without the blades as his prop for frightening guests.

“There’s nothing better, being an adult, than just making people scared and run from you,” Licht said. “It’s just the best.”

Licht said Halloween is his favorite holiday by far because the decorations can be more creative than others. Licht described himself as a creative person and said Halloween decorating gives him an outlet to use that creativity and make things.

“I absolutely love doing this. I love making stuff for it,” Licht said.

Last year, Licht introduced a giant pirate ship to the display, which he made from pallets. This year, he added flames that shoot from the back of the ship using stage props called flash pots.

The display grows every year as they add new pieces. They also keep the old ones, including a headless horseman prop that Licht made 20 years ago.

This year’s big addition is a carnival scene, which includes a moving Ferris wheel, clowns and games.

Licht said his neighbors love the decorations and the attention it brings. He said several neighbors walk by every day to see what’s new and how the setup is going.

“They egg me on,” Licht said. “They love it.”

Licht began setting up his display Labor Day weekend, but the planning process starts just after Christmas each year. He said he spends most of the winter painting and constructing new parts of the set and their dining room table acts as his crafting workshop.

Licht said his wife also is very into the decorations and comes up with a lot of the ideas for the display. His 10-year-old son helps with the setup and his son’s friends come to help scare guests.