For most of us, getting our yards ready for Halloween might involve a quick trip to the store and an afternoon of hanging decorations. But for one dedicated local in Lexington, it’s a year-round hobby that transforms his yard into a Halloween wonderland every October.
Meet our local Halloween enthusiast, Vlad Selsky, who has been crafting his spine-chilling displays for 14 years. His story began on Bellflower Street, where his first foray into Halloween decoration started modestly. “I did the typical thing, going to Walgreens and buying the cheap yard decorations,” he recalls. “Then I stumbled upon some DIY project for making your own Halloween prop… It tapped into a creative impulse, some light crafting and carpentry, and then I was hooked.”
What started as a couple of props quickly snowballed into an extensive collection. Each year, the display grew more elaborate and intricate. The early creations have evolved into complex animatronic props powered by motors or pneumatics and often animated by electronic controllers that also control lights and fog. Despite the wear and tear, the yard’s expansive display benefits from understanding neighbors, allowing many props to stay up year-round. Look closely at his UFO and you’ll see that it is made from old kiddie swimming pools and sleds. “When it’s trash day, I’m always looking for things to upcycle.”
Choosing a favorite prop is akin to choosing a favorite child for this Halloween maestro. However, a few standouts include the “Trash Can Trauma,” a metal trash can with Pennywise clown violently popping in and out; and the “Cauldron Creep,” a swamp witch stirring a cauldron with an organic, smooth motion.
“I always have a cemetery. And I have several thematic scenes. Getting the positioning and lighting just right, it almost feels like theatrical set design” he says. This year’s scenes include zombies in quarantine and an alien encounter. “Back by popular demand are the singing pumpkins and the vortex tunnel. The scenes promise plenty of surprises with actors eager to deliver surprise scares.”
The dedication doesn’t end with Halloween night. Vlad works on his props year-round. Everything is built to withstand the elements, ensuring the display can handle any weather. What makes this Halloween yard truly special is not just the craftsmanship but the sense of community and creativity it fosters. He’s part of a larger network of Halloween enthusiasts, attending conventions and sharing ideas online.
“The country is full of Halloween lovers who do this kind of thing,” he notes. “And I’ve been surprised just how warmly it’s been received by the local community.”
Vlad’s craft has caught the attention of other haunters, including Karl Winkler of Bedford. Karl runs a large haunted attraction for the First Parish Church of Bedford, an important annual fundraiser. Their haunted attraction runs every other year (not this year) and is more than three stories with over 80 actors. “Normally for Halloween with Trick or Treat, you might have a couple of yard decorations, or there might be a single scene. Vlad has done his entire yard, and that’s unheard of. You go all the way around and you have all these different events and scenes. Vlad builds his own props, his own animatronics. It’s not something you’ll find when you go to Home Depot or Lowe’s.”
While some Halloween displays lean heavily on gore, Vlad prefers to keep things less graphic. Instead, he focuses on creating genuine scares through atmosphere and surprise. From actors blending into the display to unexpected movements and sounds, the yard is designed to thrill visitors, not traumatize them.
Sadly, because he is planning to move, this is the last year Vlad will be pulling off his yard haunt at his current location. If you’re in the area, make sure to stop by Vlad’s yard and experience the magic for yourself. Vlad’s yard haunt is free – but bring some non-perishable food items: the price of admission is an optional donation to the Lexington Food Pantry. The full immersive experience is going to be the nights of October 19 and 31 as well as November 1 from 6:30 to 9:30 at 18 Greenwood St in Lexington. The yard is lit up every night in October.
I love the Halloween spirit! I received the following piece of information from Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop I did not know about and want to share:
It’s fun watching all the Halloween decorations going up in our neighborhoods! The carved pumpkins, ghouls, goblins, ghosts, witches and skeletons are spooky and they can bring a lot of enjoyment to children and adults alike. If you are decorating your yard for Halloween, there is one common decoration you may want to avoid because it can cause harm to birds and small mammals – fake spider webs.
Fake spider webs are often placed on bushes and trees or around window ledges – all places where birds tend to land and they can become entangled. Trees and bushes serve as wonderful places for birds to rest or hide from predators, but when wrapped in fake spider webs a place of safety can quickly become a trap that they can’t escape from.
We’ve been discussing this issue with customers in the store and thought it important to also send out an email as well as post to our social media.
Thank you for helping to make sure Halloween isn’t scary for our bird friends!
Thank you for sharing this, Leslie. This never occurred to me and I’ll bet most people don’t realize it either. I’ve posted it to my Facebook page and maybe others would want to do the same. We might save a few innocent birds from entrapment.
My family has been able to enjoy Vlad’s haunt for the last 5+ years. It’s a great way to bring the community together. Thank you Vlad for the hours of work you put into it!
Thank you Leslie G. for bringing the fake spider and cobweb decorations stuff to our attention. I recall seeing lots of bird and animal release stories over the years in the Boston Globe “blotter tales”. Better to not have any wildlife caught in that stuff. So many alternative choices for spooking us. Love Vlad’s scary yard!
We truly appreciate all that goes into this. Had the pleasure of talking to Vlad one year about the process. His display is a labor of love. Definitely plan on going this year. It’s a bit of a walk for us, now that we’ve moved from Hill St. but I suggest walking to his home if you’re close enough. There are a lot of Halloween displays to enjoy along the way.