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Every year for the past 20 years around Halloween, a Haskell woman dresses out her yard with ghouls, ghosts, witches, werewolves and every other kind of spooky creature she can find.  Pam Kuhn welcomes a visitor into her “Haunted Yard” at 420 E. Elm St. in Haskell. She said she anticipates hundreds of children visiting her through Halloween night and that along with passing out candy, her family will serve free hot dogs “until they run out.” (Courier photo by Matt Burks)
Located at 420 East Elm St., the yard also “has to have” Freddy Krueger from the famous “Nightmare on Elm Street” movie series, said homeowner Pam Kuhn.
“Every year around this time, I have kids coming by and asking me when I am going to start putting it together,” she said. “They say, ‘Are you going to have the yard this year, Mrs. Pam?’ and even though one year I was sick, I couldn’t resist coming out here and putting it up for them.”
Kuhn said she started with a few fake bats, spiders and a single wolfman mask. To those she has added hundreds of both scary and cute Halloween items scattered throughout her yard.
“I try to keep it more creepy instead of blood-and-guts kind of stuff,” she said. “Although some of the things some kids might say I have some scary stuff, it isn’t so bad that kids don’t want to come through. I had 163 kids come through last year and I hope to see at least that many this year.”
Kuhn said she has everything this year from a graveyard and witch’s house, to numerous werewolves, skeletons on tricycles and a casket.
“I start putting it together every year on Oct. 1,” she said. “It takes me three or four weeks to put it all together, but my family helps me out a lot. I really thank my kids for helping me. Without them, it would take me much longer to set it up.”
Even a neighbor, Danny Shore, pitched in to help build a porch for Kuhn and family to sit on as they pass out candy. Kuhn said this is the first year for the porch, which also gave her more room to hang the Halloween ghouls and goblins. With strobe lights, scary music and sounds and lighted walkways to illuminate the yard and items each night, Kuhn said vehicles will line up down the street each night to take a peek. If the children are with their parents, she lets them come through the gate and look.
“People just tickle me when they come by,” she said. “They ask if they can take pictures with their cell phones, and I tell them to come on in. We don’t rush the kids through or anything. We just love to watch their reactions. It’s all about the kids.”
Though she has arachnophobia, Kuhn will still put out fake spiders in her displays. It is the enjoyment the yard gives her children and grandchildren that has kept her continually updating the project every year.
“It is a family affair,” she said. “Everyone chips in, from my sons Jerry and Dustin Dandurand, daughter-in-law Cara and grandsons Lucas and Ian. They have spent days here helping me out and working really hard.”
Kuhn’s sister, Maureen Childress, said that even her children and grandkids ask about the yard.
“My grandkids love to come here every year,” Childress said. “They say, ‘Aunt Pam’s yard is the coolest.’”
This Halloween night, not only will the Kuhn family pass out candy, but they will also serve hot dogs “until they run out.”
The day after Halloween, it all comes down and Kuhn will start shopping for more items to add next year. She said she’ll continue to work on the Haunted Yard every year, mainly for her grandchildren and other kids that come through.
She added that she also does this because of her memories of trick-or-treating in Traskwood, where she grew up.
“I do it because I have fond memories of Halloween and my kids and grandkids love it,” she said. “I always remember walking up and down Traskwood, visiting every decorated house and trick-or-treating. It was a lot of fun then and I want that for the kids now. I just love to do it ... and I just thoroughly enjoy it.”
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