Photo Credit: Allen Halas
Jamie Beauchamp (left) and Andy Reid (right) have been developing big Halloween concepts since 2003.
While the fate of many Halloween events in Milwaukee are left in limbo for 2020, A&J’s Halloween House in Bay View is proceeding along with business as (almost) usual for their 17th consecutive year. Located at 2943 S. Clement Ave., the over-the-top display annually features an entire front yard of elaborate decorations. This year’s theme is “Ghostbusters,” complete with mannequins, working traffic lights, projection screens and, yes, a giant inflatable Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. The designs are the work of Andy Reid and Jamie Beauchamp, who have been developing a new theme for their front yard every year since 2003. This year’s design is Reid’s brainchild.
“This was supposed to be the year that they were going to release the fourth Ghostbusters movie, so I thought it would be a neat way to tie things in” said Reid. “We usually talk about the themes throughout the year before. We decided in February that we were going to do Ghostbusters” added Beauchamp.
The design and build work is completely a two-man operation, with Reid, a realtor by day, and Beauchamp, a floral designer, flexing their creative muscles. In addition to this year’s display, which is completely visible from the road, social distancing viewing points and cautionary signs have been put in place for pedestrians and those who get out of their car to take in the attraction. While the extravagant front yard is a can’t-miss tradition in the neighborhood, it also is used to benefit a different cause every year. Donation boxes, set up on the curbside this year, will benefit Pathfinders.
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“When I started doing the display, it was just for fun” explains Reid. “Then it got more and more popular, so we decided that we should use this to raise money for charity. In the first year, we raised $300 for the charity that we were benefitting. The year after that, we raised $5,000.”
If you aren’t afraid of no ghost, you can visit A&J’s Halloween House through Oct. 31, with light-up displays generally staying on until 10 p.m. most nights. You can also like their Facebook page for more updates and information.
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Photo Credit: Allen Halas
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Photo Credit: Allen Halas
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Photo Credit: Allen Halas
