To say the people of Tillson street in Romeo like Halloween is a bit of an understatement. Every year they pull out their ghosts and ghouls to create the most terrifying street in Michigan, and it all started because of a lady named Vicki Lee.
"It came about because it is my birthday on Halloween, my mother always decorated for me... and so when I had my children when they were small I decorated for them too. And younger families moved on the street, after we moved here and it just evolved to this," explains Lee.
First one house and then another and another until now, almost 30 years later, nearly the entire street is participating. Each home takes up a theme and adds to it every year. There is a pirate themed house with half a ship in the front yard, a spooky bridal boutique "Say Yes to Distress," and even a deadly hockey match.
Jack Kare is a relative newcomer to Tillson street, but he was excited to jump in on the action.
"There's a lot of rumors like it is in your contract or it's in your mortgage... but no, you want to do it, you want to participate. The neighbors here are so great, why not be a part of it!" says Kare.
The houses are family friendly, though things get much spookier at night. Vicki claims it's two different streets. As the moon rises the colorful lights come out and so do the crowds.
"My neighbor is an engineer and figured, a couple of years ago, probably 80,000 people [come by] in the last two weeks before Halloween.
It's free to come by and enjoy these haunted houses though they do sell t-shirts, sweatshirts, cookbooks and coozies to raise money for charity. The funds go to Romeo's Pay to Play scholarship program, two vocational school scholarships and Wounded Warriors.
So bring the whole family and have a scary good time as you see all the terrifying details these neighbors put into their homes.
"We're kind of friends, we help each other out, we help eachcother out when it comes to decorating. This is year round, and most of our conversations, even in the middle of the Christmas party of the neighborhood, we start talking Halloween for some reason."
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