A Winnipeg man will be transforming his front yard into a terrifying display for another Halloween night.
David Pletz started building spooky props as a teenager and has been adding to his outdoor display for 25 years.
“Back then, it was nothing more than Styrofoam and wax and crayons and doing what you can do sort of thing,” he said.
It takes two days to get everything set up and lit and it has everything from inflatables to animatronics.
“We just keep growing the pile every year and it’s getting a lot to set up now, even more so to try to store.”
The very first animatronic Pletz made featured a coffin and a wax dummy, “when the kids would step on it, the coffin would scream.”
However, now most of the decorations are store-bought. Each year, Pletz and his daughter Amy look for deals on decor and sometimes splurge on big pieces, such as their new 12-foot skeleton.
“They sold out, and we saw it again this year, and we just looked at each other and went, Yep, got to do it. So we did,” Pletz said.
He has always had a passion for creepy things and passed it on to his daughter.
“Growing up as a little kid, I loved the movies. I loved horror movies. I loved the blood, guts and gore,” Pletz said.
“Halloween is kind of our Christmas. So we go full on and really hope to scare some kids.”
In addition to the spooky displays, Pletz also offers something for the parents taking their kids trick or treating.
“We also like to put a movie in the window every year as well. And we put out a speaker and some lawn chairs so that the parents that are walking, the little ones can stop and maybe put their feet up for a few minutes.”
Pletz and his family aren’t the only Halloween enthusiasts in the city, as many houses will be decorated and ready to scare.