By Ron Ayotte, Contributing Writer
Marlborough – Some people really get into decorating for special events and holidays, like the 4th of July or Christmas. For Dave and Nancy Adams of Marlborough, they get into Halloween in a very big way. They turn their yard into the “Haunted Borough,” a family friendly Halloween display complete with ghosts, goblins, bats, blasts of fog and other spooky things. For them, Halloween is not one day, rather, it is a three week-long event!
The Adams’ display is a constantly evolving project. Dave “imagineers” and makes just about every prop himself. For example, the wrought iron fences that surround the display are made of PVC piping that he heats up, bends, twists and paints to appear old and decrepit. An old headboard from a discarded bed became the sign for the Haunted Borough cemetery. Foam display boards are turned into headstones, and plastic skeletons are turned into decaying corpses using papier-mache, foamed plastics and other materials. There is also a “man eating” plant (think Seymour from “The Little Shop of Horrors”) made from PVC piping and foam pumpkins.
The motorized displays, such as the man eating plant, are powered by 12 volt windshield wiper motors that are encased in plastics to make them waterproof.
“When I go to the junkyard to get motors, they always ask me for what make and model of car they are for. When I tell I don’t care, they look at me funny,” Dave said.
Dave stated that while he always thinks about new ideas and putting things together, it takes about three weeks to put up everything.
Weather has its effect on the display. It has survived a hurricane, the Halloween snowstorm of 2012 and thunderstorms.
“I occasionally have a pumpkin or two blow away in a windstorm… my neighbors just call me to come and pick them up,” he said.
Dave and Nancy invite you to check out “The Haunted Borough” Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/daveshauntedborough.
Photos/Ron Ayotte
