Decorated houses can join Halloween Town

Spooky houses are popping up all around Canyon Lake in anticipation of a different kind of Halloween season during the COVID-19 pandemic this year. In an effort to share where they all are with families throughout the community, Halloween Town was created and is being promoted in the lead-up to the week of Halloween.

Kenni-Marie Potter and Cassy Abraham created Canyon Lake Halloween Town, a Facebook Community page dedicated to neighborhoods dressing up their homes with Halloween decor. The concept is based on the wildly successful Community Zoo that took place earlier this year. A virtual map will be created with addresses of participating decorated houses included.

“If you want to be added to the Halloween Map so that the community can enjoy your decorations (big or small, silly or scary our kids want to see them all) please email us at CLHalloweenTown@gmail.com,” Joe Potter, one of the founding members said on the group’s Facebook page. “Please include your address and scariness level (1 to 5).”

The community map will go live on Friday (Oct. 23) and will be available on the Canyon Lake Halloween Town Facebook group page. There are over 825 members of the group.

“We hope to see everyone decorated,” Joe said. “We are starting the weekend before Halloween so that those who want to view the houses across the lake have an opportunity to do so safely. As with the COVID Zoo, we can’t wait to hear the laughter and joy around the community.”

The Canyon Lake Community Zoo was an event for children to get out of the house and explore, Cassy said. Over 100 households picked an animal to display, real or imaginary, and displayed information about it. Hundreds of children safely visited the front yards of the homes and had fun visiting the animals. The similarly-organized Halloween event is being called a “spooky twist on Candy Cane Lane.”

All Canyon Lake residents are encouraged to join in on this festivity of decoration and there is no minimum amount of decorations required.The virtual map will show all the houses that are participating. Small icons on the map will indicate the theme and a “spookiness level” of each house so families can choose their own adventure.

“We just want to really embrace the fun spirit of this event,” Cassy said. “We wanted an event that was inclusive and fun, but also mindful of the current state COVID-19 guidelines.”

Participants are encouraged to have their decorations up and ready on the weekend before Halloween so the decorations can be enjoyed all week long.

“It’s been a weird year,” Cassy said. “We really hope this event brings joy and a sense of normalcy to the kids in the community.” Cassy and Kenni-Marie are looking to make this event an annual tradition. “Our hope is that this event is spooktacular and will become a treasured annual staple for years to come,” Cassy said.