COMSTOCK PARK, Mich — Halloween is not canceled for a family in Comstock Park
While other houses may be turning off their lights to trick-or-treaters this year, the Dunahee family said the pandemic is the very reason, the show must go on.
Jennifer Dunahee takes Halloween very seriously.
“I promise my family we’ll have a normal Christmas and then as soon as Christmas is done, I get to work,” she said.
For her, the holiday is more like a way of life.
She said, “This started when I was little, really little, like probably our first Halloween in this neighborhood, when I was four years old.”
Every October for the past 12 years, The Haunt of Storybook Hollowbecomes the focal point of Biddeford Dr. NW in Comstock Park.
The display is at 4970 Biddeford Dr. NW.
“We got people coming in from a couple hours away,” Dunahee said.
There’s something different to see every year in the whimsical display, but in 2020, things will run a little differently.
Dunahee said, “If you’re comfortable getting out and walking around, we do have a rule that if there is more than one family in the yard at the time that you wear a mask.”
They are still handing out candy this Halloween, just getting creative with it.
“We are using a candy shoot and we are going to be wearing gloves and a mask. We are going to be dumping candy directly into a bowl and then ladling it into the shoot. There will be no contact with the candy or the kids,” Dunahee said.
But there’s one thing Dunahee said will never change, and that’s accepting donations and pet supplies for the Humane Society of West Michigan.
She said, “The Humane Society is near and dear to our family’s hearts and I thought, if we are going to do all this work, we might as well do something more with it.”
Make no mistake, setting up the haunted fairy land is a lot of work.
Dunahee and her family spent about 5 years creating just one of their many dragons for the display and she starts setting up around Labor Day.
Anyone who visits can see the effort in every little detail, which is just one way Dunahee hopes to bring some fun to an otherwise spooky time.
She said, “I thought if people could drive around and see some cool decorations, then it would be something to look back on and see this really cool thing that we did that Halloween as opposed to the Halloween that didn’t happen.”
There are 18 houses in the entire neighborhood doing a decorating contest. The Dunahee house is not eligible to win, but you can vote on your other favorites on the Westgate Neighborhood Halloween Decorating Contest Facebook Page.
There, you’ll also find a map showing participating houses.
