50-foot pirate ship? Americans go over-the-top to keep Halloween alive in pandemic

Tony DeMatteo’s home vanished two weeks ago, when he added the final touches to a grand act of defiance that is attracting thousands of gawkers to his New York home.

A 50-foot pirate ship is now filling the yard in Churchville and most of the driveway, with 20-foot high masts, six cannons that spew light and fog, pyrotechnics that blast flames into the air and a booming soundtrack.

Beside the wooden ship, 9-foot kraken tentacles are seen popping out of the lawn.

This is DeMatteo’s response to officials across the U.S. discouraging the iconic tradition of trick-or-treating on Halloween to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

DeMatteo is among the thousands of Americans who have turned to elaborate yard decorations to keep the spooky spirit of the holiday alive, even if trick-or-treaters never show up.

“This year has been tough for a lot of people. A lot has been canceled, schools are different, people are on edge and we forget that it’s hard on kids, too,” DeMatteo told McClatchy News.

“I almost didn’t do anything this year. But we decided that this could be something that puts a smile on some faces. Something that makes people happy. It’s for the kids and it’s for my community.”

DeMatteo, a husband and father of three, is also using the display as a way to drum up publicity and donations for a nearby food pantry that helps low-income families. Even that act of goodwill shows off his creative drive, with a pirate’s treasure chest near the ship acting as a food drop-off point.

As for fears that COVID-19 could be spread by crowds reveling at his display, DeMatteo’s show can be enjoyed from cars. The music and special effects are presented on a 30-minute loop Wednesday through Sunday, he says, and it’s broadcast on radio station 88.7 FM.

The display joins an over-the-top pandemic trend that includes a giant inflatable spider crawling off a home in East Aurora, New York, and a 5-minute light show in Tracy, California, that moves to the tune of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”

Halloween trends expert Roxanne Rhoads told Reader’s Digest the work-from-home trend is contributing greatly to renewed interest in Halloween yard decorations.

“I think people will definitely be going all-out with the Halloween decorations this year,” Rhoads told the outlet. “This will help keep the Halloween spirit alive and will give people something to enjoy.”

A September survey of nearly 8,000 Americans showed 53% of those questioned will decorate yards for Halloween, up from 49% last year, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. Meanwhile, the number of people who intend to give out candy dropped from 69% to 62%, the survey found.

This is the second year DeMatteo, a vibration analyst, has created a ship in his yard. However, this year’s version is twice as big, with “more fun accessories.” The total cost for props, lights and electronics is nearly $2,000, which includes a lot of old equipment acquired over the years, he said. (After Halloween, the ship will be dismantled and “every last screw” stored in his garage, basement and shed.)

Updates on the ship’s slow progress have been shared thousands of times on social media, with nearly as many comments. Most of the comments reference the “insane awesomeness” of the project, with a few ark references and jokes of how DeMatteo has created his own Renaissance Festival.

The pay off, he says, is when parents stop and tell him the display is something their child “will remember forever.”

That’s important now more than ever.

“I didn’t realize the impact it was going to have on people. I honestly didn’t even know if people would like it,” DeMatteo says.

“Honestly, I probably need to tone it down going forward. There’s a fine line I need to carefully walk between huge displays and keeping the neighborhood happy. ... Ultimately, I would love to find a space where I could set this up indoors. Then I could leave it up and make it better and better every year.”

Here are other examples of elaborate Halloween decorations around the country:

This story was originally published October 21, 2020 at 8:55 AM with the headline "50-foot pirate ship? Americans go over-the-top to keep Halloween alive in pandemic."