Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
GLEN CARBON – Jeff Garde and his family welcome anyone to drive by and check out their Halloween decorations at 54 Oakshire Drive West in Glen Carbon (Fairfield) subdivision. This year’s theme revolves around a towering animatronic display of the headless horseman, and if you stop by at night you’ll be able to witness it come to life as smoke billows from the horse’s nostrils.
Garde and his family have always held the holidays close to their hearts, and over the last eight years they have been slowly ramping up their decorations. Garde says it’s his memories of growing up as a kid and watching the neighbors go all out for the holidays as the highlight.
With R Acres of Terror and other haunted houses the Garde’s frequent closing down they got the inspiration to invite their community to stop by their home, “this year specifically because of COVID and everything a lot of kids won’t be able to trick-or-treat so at least they could drive by,” said Garde.
Since COVID has changed the landscape of our day-to-day lives and even the holidays, it seemed to inspire the Garde’s even more as they declared, “enough is enough, we’re really going to go all out for 2020 and at least people can feel safe in their cars and experience some sort of Halloween.”
Every year, Garde has dressed up in matching costumes with his daughter as they sit out front and hand treats out. Usually they expect at least 200 trick-or-treaters, but this year will likely be a different story. Regardless, Garde’s family wants to make the best of this Halloween as he shares his favorite thing about Halloween.
“For us, it’s actually giving out the treats cause you can see these little kids, some of them are three to four years old and they’re slowly walking up the driveway like they want to come up there but they’re scared. Some of them are brave and will make it up there, then we got other ones that are teenagers that won’t even come up to the front. So, it’s fun to watch everyone for two hours on a Halloween night just experience some good clean fun.”
If you’d like to share your Halloween spirit with the Gardes, don’t be afraid to stop by.
