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Forget Christmas. For these Dyker Heights locals, the decorations start with Halloween
By
Sasha Linden Cohen
Published Oct 30, 2024
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Sasha Linden Cohen / Gothamist
By
Sasha Linden Cohen
Published Oct 30, 2024
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Brooklyn native Richard DeVaynes takes Halloween very, very seriously.
In a neighborhood famous for its extravagant Christmas displays, DeVaynes is among a growing number of Dyker Heights residents who start decorating their houses in early October — welcoming the visitors who pour into the neighborhood every day.
“It’s insanity, and it’s like this all month,” the 49-year-old father of three said, gesturing to the crowds and lavish displays. His house is decorated for roughly 100 days between Oct. 1 and Jan. 3 and he rents two garages to store all the decorations in the offseason.
Why go to all that effort?
“The kids love it,” he said. “And I love scaring them.”
The central diorama among Richard DeVayne's many decorations.
Sasha Linden Cohen / Gothamist
On Friday, the exterior of DeVaynes' house was adorned with dozens of elaborate horror scenes: a knife-waving Frankenstein, growling skeletons with bright red eyes, motion-sensor-enabled spiders that pop out when you walk by. Spooky music and ghoulish laughs emanated from hidden speakers.
“A lot of kids cry right in this spot right here,” he said, pointing to a Chucky doll display that he controlled with a remote control.
“But it's fun!” he said. “They all love it.”
For 10-year-old Yesenia Salazar, getting scared was one of the best parts of visiting the neighborhood. She jumped back from the Chucky display when it made a zapping sound.
“It’s so fun,” she said. “Those things really scare me, though.”
As pictures and videos of the houses have spread across TikTok and Instagram, families have been streaming in from Staten Island, Queens, and even the Bronx to visit the handful of Dyker Heights houses, many between 10th and 13th Avenues, that pull out all the stops.
The "Haunted Carnival" house on 82nd Street between 12th and 13th Avenues opted for a clown theme.
Sasha Linden Cohen / Gothamist
Around the corner, a yard was strewn with mummies. A few blocks down, one house boasted more than 20 laughing clowns.
“Everybody else has grave diggers and all that,” Salvatore Panetta said while explaining his house’s theme, which was "Haunted Carnival."
“Once you get one clown, well you have to get another one," Panetta sighed. "So here we are.”
Some visitors on Friday said they have been coming to the neighborhood for its Halloween offerings for years.
“We love Halloween, so we always come and visit over here,” said Keisha Williams, who made the trek from Queens on Friday with her 1-year-old daughter, who was dressed as a cow.
DeVaynes says that in some ways, it’s like managing a tourist destination that doesn’t return a profit. He said he does it for the children.
“Look at them!” he said, waving to the dozens of kids running on his lawn like a playground. “And I’m in too deep. And if I stopped now…I don't know what I would do. It relaxes me.”
He acknowledged that not everyone shares his zeal for Halloween.
“Some neighbors complain,” he said. “They say people are parking in their driveways, there’s so many people on the sidewalk, it's too much smoke, it's too loud. But it's a month out of the year! Deal with it.”
And yet, Halloween is only the beginning: On Friday, the Halloween decorations come down and he’ll start decorating his house for Christmas.
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Sasha Linden Cohen
Sasha is an intern at the Brian Lehrer Show.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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