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Christmas trees and candy canes come face to face with pumpkins, a dragon, skeletons and a werewolf as Halloween “invades” Christmas in Jerry Dolynchuk’s front yard.
“Halloween is invading Christmas, but Christmas is fighting back,” said Dolynchuk.
Dolynchuk is known for its annual Christmas display that covers two lots at the corner of 144 Avenue and 97 Street. This year, he decided to take a different approach.
“Everybody said that Halloween is becoming as popular as Christmas,” he said. “I always did Christmas and I didn’t want to take something away from it and then I thought, well, you know what’s going on, Halloween is kind of an invasive Christmas and that’s the idea this year.”
Dolynchuk said he spent about $ 50,000 on display for various parties this year and plans to continue decorating the parties together for years to come.
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The 69-year-old receives his life-size decorations from distributors in the United States and said the products are typically from the Philippines. Also in Dolynchuk’s courtyard is a skeleton bride and groom standing in front of their horse and carriage.
He had never decorated for Halloween before because he always had to have his holiday display ready before it got too cold and the snow started to fall.
Full Christmas display before November 12
This year, Dolynchuk said the Halloween decorations will stay on until the candy comes on Halloween night. However, Christmas wins the battle and Halloween is removed from the grass on November 1.
“It comes immediately because we are very close to the snow and I need the Christmas display to be 100% done before the snow hits the ground because of all the cables, connections and tests,” he said.
Dolynchuk added that the entire Christmas display will not be fully illuminated until November 12 to honor Remembrance Day. He added that the Christmas display will have Santa and his sleigh in the lead.
He said the current screen will be lit up with organ music outside the house from 6 pm to 9:30 pm every day.
Throughout the week, cars have turned onto 144 Avenue and stopped to get out of their cars and enjoy the Halloween and Christmas decorations.
Dolynchuk said he’s happy that people are enjoying the exhibit and said the reason he keeps putting together massive Christmas displays is because he likes to create things.
Reference-edmontonjournal.com