Boo-tiful Edmonton: October is showtime for Terrace Heights' Beetlejuice house

Katie Karpetz still remembers the first Halloween at her house in Terrace Heights. Only three kids came to her door.

Twenty years later, a lot has changed. Karpetz and her husband now count over 300 trick-or-treaters each Halloween who are drawn to the elaborate decorations adorning their home near 101 Avenue and 71 Street. It’s a lot of work, but for Karpetz it’s worth it.

“(Halloween) has been my favourite holiday since I went to my first community league pumpkin carving at the age of five,” said Karpetz, who also runs The Witchery Market.

Preparation typically begins in September, with Karpetz and her husband slowly bringing out decorations each day to put up. On Oct. 31, Karpetz’s husband will take the day off work to spend hours bringing out fog machines and lights. It’s also the couple’s anniversary.

What began with random Halloween decorations coalesced into a single theme: Beetlejuice. Tim Burton’s 1988 horror-comedy classic is a must-view for many fans during October, including Karpetz, who set aside her aversion to inflatable decorations when she saw inflatable versions of the movie’s sandworm monsters. Now she owns four. Their home is affectionately known as the ‘Beetlejuice House’ in the neighbourhood and residents look forward to seeing it during spooky season.

“We were slow getting up the sandworms this year and every time my husband was outside people were asking him why they weren’t up yet,” said Karpetz.

In addition to decorating, Karpetz is involved with the Terror Heights online community, which maps houses that are decorating and/or handing out candy on Halloween in the Terrace Heights, Capilano and Hardisty areas. For a while, Karpetz was worried children were forgoing door-to-door trick-or-treating in neighbourhoods in favour of indoor shopping malls, but she now sees more and more homeowners picking up the Halloween spirit, enticing costumed kids with decorations and treats.

“Don’t you worry, we’re getting those kids back into the streets where they belong,” joked Karpetz.

We’re looking for Edmonton’s most spook-tacular houses and community halls this Halloween. Email chuculak@postmedia.com about any local homes you think go above and beyond with decorations in October.

Bookmark our website and support our journalism:Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.