Across Sterling Heights, Michigan, Halloween is more than a night of costumes and candy. It is a season of elaborate transformations, when ordinary front yards become haunted graveyards, mythical creatures emerge from the shadows, and homeowners turn their properties into miniature horror attractions. According to the City of Sterling Heights, a growing community of residents is keeping the tradition alive through imaginative displays that bring neighbors together and give trick-or-treaters something extraordinary to remember.
A pirate ship sets sail
For Nathan Robinson and his family, Halloween decorating has evolved into an elaborate storytelling exercise. "Their latest is a pirate ship, lit in deep blue, ringed by skeletal sailors, and meant to call to mind a ship going down to a supernatural watery grave." Nearby, creepy clowns add another layer of unease to the unfolding scene.
The Sterling Heights residents, who have been building their displays for years, approach the yard as a carefully planned experience. According to the City of Sterling Heights, Robinson maps out how visitors should move through the installation, deciding what they should see and feel at…