ROMEO, Mich. (WWJ) -- Halloween is still a few weeks out, but preparations are well underway for the annual Halloween on Tillson Street in Romeo.
Every year about 30 homes, all built in the 1800s, get decked out for spooky season, all in the name of community spirit. Homeowners spend their time and money to get in the Halloween mood and put on a fun event, all free-of-charge to the community. More than 20,000 visitors are expected throughout the season.
"Everybody likes Halloween, but what’s special about Tillson Street is, this is the historic village and all the houses were built in the 1800s, so I think it just has a little bit of a different flavor," said Tillson Street resident Jack Kare. "Some people think the house are props and people don’t actually live here and they think the city subsidizes it and whatnot, but these are our homes."
Kare has lived on Tillson for about eight years and he has always created a "haunted ice rink" outside his home, complete with a Zamboni. But Kare is taking a bit of a different approach this fall.
"This year, against my wife’s better judgment, I’m switching to a haunted hotel," Kare told WWJ's Charlie Langton.
The big day is still more than three weeks away, but Kare and others have already gotten a jump on their decorations.
"We start on Oct. 1, but it depends on the weather and it’s been raining every day and we all have to work for a living, so usually on the weekends we hit it pretty hard and by the second or third weekend of October, you’ll see about 80-90% of the displays up and it’s pretty cool," Kare said.
The main attraction is on Halloween night -- with trick-or-treating from 6-8 p.m. -- but Tillson Street is open to any and all visitors throughout October to check out the spooky decorations.
There are a number of charities and foundations that benefit from the fun on Tillson Street, including the Buzz Lee Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Wounded Warrior Project and Kids Kicking Cancer. There will be shirts available to purchase, with proceeds going to the charities.
Tillson Street is closed to all vehicle traffic a half hour before and after trick-or-treating on Halloween, when thousands of families from Romeo and the surrounding communities flood the streets. Members of the Romeo High School football team volunteer every year, wearing bright colors and using flashlights to control the crowds and help any families out where needed.
Check out the progress on the Halloween on Tillson Street's Facebook page, as well as on Instagram.