By Pauline Masson –
When it comes to Halloween in Pacific, forget spooky stories and scary stalkers. For the past twenty years, one man – who more closely resembles Santa Claus than a ghost or goblin – has reinvented the best memories of his childhood into an ever-growing phantasmagoria of Halloween that staggers the imagination.
This year, 2022 there are 100 lighted, waving creatures, from an international diaspora of Halloween ideas, in Dan McClain’s yard at the corner of South Payne Street and Indian Trail Drive. Kids are welcome to get up close and personal with the creatures.
There are cats, rats, bats, dragons, Frankenstein monsters, grasshoppers, grinches, ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, open coffins, spiders, skeletons, witches, and zombies, as well as Doughboy, one large Minion and Mickey Mouse. From about 5 p.m when the electricity is turned on until 10 pm, they ride motorcycles, drive ambulances and trains, play organs, and stir spewing cauldrons.
This yard is a tourism commission’s dream, attracting families from far and wide to share on man’s vision of what Halloween can be if you use your imagination.
It is no small feat setting up this bobbing and weaving light show. A crew of ten regular volunteers routinely uncrate the creatures and hook them up to electricity: Tim and Ryan Richardson, Jerry and Joey Eversmeyer, Greg Rulon and assistant Tuffy, Mitch Duncan, Luke Kriefall, Matt Gray and Sam Brocato.
On Halloween evening, Kathy Richardson and Julie George turn out to hand out a truck load of candy. Any left over candy is set out in buckets for the Pacific Eagles Friday evening Bingo crowd.
This spectacular started in 1990 with one eight-foot inflatable witch. Each year, with crew members saying, “this is enough,” McClain adds more creatures. This year he added three spiders that stand up on legs, seven cats to follow the existing rats and one huge Mickey Mouse that occupies the corner spot.
Although Halloween is Dan’s favorite holiday, his collection of inflatables totals 275 lighted holiday inflatables, including 100 Halloween, 70 Christmas, 25 Easter and 20 each for St. Patrick’s Day, July fourth and Thanksgiving. On six holidays a year, the yard lights up as a greeting card to the community.
Love it. Also on olive street in pacific you will see a great Halloween and Christmas display. Check it out.