Halloween isn't just another holiday on the calendar for the Schrier family.
Halloween is the holiday.
Forget about Christmas; the twinkling lights and holiday cheer. It just isn't their thing.
Jay and Natalie Schrier want to hear you scream.
For the 11th year in a row the Hespeler couple, their five kids and their extended family have spent countless hours on a display and haunted house that showcases their love for all things terrifying.
Last year, the 12-foot-tall Home Depot skeleton towering over the front yard at their Kerwood Drive home became a demogorgon, the fleshy, flower-headed demon from the Netflix series Stranger Things.
This year, that same skeleton has been reimagined as a giant, cordyceps-infected clicker from the video game-turned HBO series The Last of Us.
At the front of the lawn another clicker bursts from a barrel surrounded by corn stalks, a giant, skeletal pumpkin creature looms over the yard, a blazing fire fills the second-floor window and a man in a hazmat suit stands ready to leap at trick-or-treaters who dare to approach the front door.
This isn't your average Halloween house and the fun doesn't end there.
The garage has already been transformed into a mini-maze haunted house for "anyone that's brave enough to go in" on Halloween night.
"I love horror movies," Natalie says with a laugh. "It's a year round thing for me and my youngest daughter. We love scary movies."
All of that inspiration goes into creating their frightening displays. To make the clicker and the other creations she melts plastic, forms it and paints it herself. Even the cornstalks are handmade.
Adding creative touches to make something unique is always better than using a prop straight off the shelf, Natalie says.
"A lot of people ask do you go big for Christmas too and, first of all, I can't go this big for two holidays storage wise," she laughs.
"And Halloween is a lot more interactive because you have the trick or treaters and the parents."
They recruit their kids, their friends, and family members to become scare actors in the haunted house and around the yard as the lineup forms down the street.
When it's all over, the Schriers have to get creative with storage, Jay says, noting how each character breaks down into manageable pieces that can easily be put away in basement corners. "Every kids closet has a body part in it," Natalie says.
WARNING: Strobe lights in the video below.
Since the Schriers recently adopted a cat from the Cambridge Humane Society, any donations of money or supplies at this year's haunted house will go there.
"We wanted to help them with supplies and stuff because they've been overrun with cats," Natalie says.
The haunt at 355 Kerwood will begin around 7 p.m. and go until the lineup ends, usually before 10 p.m., Jay says.
Last year they had 411 walk-thrus at the haunted house and if the weather cooperates, this year could break a record.
"Sometimes I think the adults have more fun than the kids," Natalie laughs.
If you're a fan of the spooky season, check out our interactive map of 13 spectacular Halloween houses we think are worthy of a visit on Oct. 31 or earlier.
Go after dusk for the full effect. Click on each Jack-'o-lantern to learn more.
