GLEN CARBON — Jeff Garde is inviting the community to meet “The Undead” at his home this October as his family’s Halloween yard display returns for its 14th year.
The display at 54 Oakshire Drive in the Fairfield subdivision near Father McGivney High School operates nightly from 6:30 to 10 p.m. through Halloween. A candy giveaway begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 30, continuing a tradition that drew more than 300 visitors last year.
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“We always do it on Oct. 30 because the Edwardsville parade is on Halloween night,” Garde said.
This year’s theme, “The Undead,” brings a new scene to a yard that has previously featured “Witches” and “Killer Clowns.” The family changes the theme each year, giving returning visitors something different to see.
The display combines full-size mannequins and animatronics with projectors, rolling fog and Halloween domes illuminated by LED lights.
While the display runs in October, Garde spends about four months planning, collecting items and preparing, with help from his family.
“If you wait until September or October, everything is already bought up and sold out,” Garde said. “We put everything in the yard around the first weekend of October. My kids had everything ready to go in the house and it took us about a day and a half to get it all up.”
For Garde, the display is an opportunity to bring the community together. The annual candy giveaway is one of its biggest nights, welcoming visitors of all ages to the family’s Halloween tradition.
