SOUTH RIVER–Adorning her house with scary mannequins and a large inflatable black cat, South River resident Mary Michelino transforms her home into a Halloween wonderland every year.
Michelino said that she and her family have been living in the borough for 13 years.
“[I started decorating] the first year that I moved in. I always loved to decorate so when I had all this property I started off very small with a big 12-foot pumpkin and a scary monster and then it just grew from there. It just took off,” she said. “Every year I add something else and you know sometimes things don’t last so I have to revamp, but we got such a great reaction from the town and the trick-or-treaters that [come].”
Michelino said more than 100 trick-or-treaters come to her house on Main Street every year on Halloween.
“My husband is the strong arm, but basically I have the vision and I buy the stuff and when he is available he helps me; if not, I do it on my own,” she said.
Michelino said she begins decorating in September, and it takes about a full week-and-a-half. She said when she is putting up her decorations, residents stop and stare.
“Sometimes parents have to bring the kids here because the kids start to see me do it and they get so excited and they just want to come and see. You know they are just hopped up about Halloween, they love it,” Michelino said. “They come by and the parents will tell me, ‘Oh my God every day I have to pass [your house], stop, look and take pictures.’ So I allow people to come up and take pictures, you know, because that’s the fun of it.”
This year took a different turn, however, since Michelino was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy and four other surgeries, with possibly more in the future.
“I wasn’t sure how I was going to be and my husband was just so thrilled to be back doing this again because then he knows that I am feeling OK,” Michelino said. “So, this is what I love to do and the wheels in my head are already turning for Christmas.”
Michelino said she also decorates the inside of her house every year for Halloween, enhancing it with a Halloween-themed tree, scary mannequins, haunted house ornaments, jacko-lanterns, scarecrows, autumn leaves, spooky dolls, skulls, witches hats, Halloween-themed ornaments and autumn-themed dinnerware.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].