The Halloween hotspot you don’t want to miss in Vernon

VERNON – Most people carve a couple pumpkins, buy a bag of candy and call Halloween a wrap. Nathan Phillips and his girlfriend Kerrie Wheeler need a storage unit for all their Halloween decor.

“I’ve liked Halloween ever since I was a kid,” Phillips says. “It’s kind of like my Christmas.”

What started out as a few carved pumpkins has evolved over the years into what Phillips calls a bit of an obsession.

“We add something new every year,” he says. “Pretty soon I’m going to need a storage unit for all this stuff.”

The display will include a fog machine, flood lights, elaborate decor, music and several people in full costume lurking in the yard. Over 30 intricately carved pumpkins will add to the ambience thanks to Wheeler’s handiwork.

“They take about an hour each,” Wheeler says. “It’s (commitment) and craziness combined.”

Phillips says their enthusiasm is partly for the kids, but also for the adults.

“A lot of the parents that come up like it just as much as the kids, if not more,” he says.

They’re hoping lots of boys and ghouls will stop by 2389 15 Street, across from Vernon Secondary School, on Halloween — if they dare.

“They can expect to definitely be scared when they walk up to the door and can expect a lot of candy too,” Phillips says.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.