You know what they say, if you've got it, haunt it...
A North Vancouver resident is doing just that this weekend, going all out with a frightfully fantastic Halloween walkthrough.
It’s Christopher Smith’s third year decking out his yard with ghastly surprises and he said this is by far his spookiest display yet.
Originally from Ontario, Smith and his family moved to Vancouver four years ago and he was just dying to carry on his Halloween tradition.
He said his obsession with the holiday began as a child when his father started a small display with homemade tombstones in the front yard. Eventually, it grew into much, much more.
“I quit trick-or-treating when I was 12 to start doing these displays and scares,” he said.
“We were always the house on the street with the biggest, best display.”
But nowadays it's just about having “a whole lot of fun.”
“I get a lot of joy from doing it [creating the haunt] and everyone always seems to appreciate it around the neighbourhood,” Smith said.
“It’s a kind of a nice little break from everything that’s been going on.”
Visitors can look forward to entering the haunt through a creepy quarantine tent before walking through a one-way path full of jack-o-lanterns, smoke machines, graveyards, and animatronics – including a moving, talking tree with glowing red eyes and a two-metre-tall skeleton reaper.
The display is a mix of store-bought items and homemade builds.
“I get an idea in my head and it builds itself as I continue,” Smith said, while talking about what inspires his haunt.
“I don’t usually know exactly how things are going to turn out."
Be sure to watch your step as you go through, there will also be live actors doing jump scares – while maintaining a safe distance. Along with the one-way path as a COVID safety precaution, Smith said the haunt has a separation barrier to maintain social distancing for handing out candy too.
He’s inviting residents to walk through the haunt at 345 20th St. West, in North Van's Mahon Park neighbourhood, this weekend on Friday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., if they dare.
“It's going to be a very scary time,” Smith said.
“There is no admission fee, we just want people to come by and have a great time.”
He said parents could rest assure that it will be child friendly for the little ones.
“I have more fun scaring the adults,” Smith laughed.
BC Centre for Disease Control has recommended skipping large Halloween parties this year but said trick-or-treating in small groups could still be a safe and fun activity.
It stated it was best for residents to stick to their own neighbourhoods, to incorporate a mask into their costumes and to sanitize regularly. Other tips include using tongs or making a candy slide to create more space when handing out treats. On top of this, the CDC suggests handing out individual treats instead of offering a shared bowl.
Smith isn’t the only one with a frightful display. If you want to give your kids "pumpkin to talk about," take them for a drive or walk by some of the North Shore’s best Halloween haunts.
If you have a display you'd like to add, email a photo and address to reporter Elisia Seeber here.
PLUS: We’re giving away four Grouse Mountain two-person prize packs (two SkyRide passes and two zipline passes), valued at $296 each at random for people who submit their displays.
Check out the map to find a fright near you.
Elisia Seeber is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
