East End Halloween festivities, including the traditional gathering of hundreds of costumed trick-or-treaters on East Hampton Village streets with decked-out houses, are being discouraged this year because of the pandemic, but two Cooper Lane families are going all out decorating their homes to give children a thrill.
"Every year we just want to see the little kids happy, and especially this year I want to give them something normal," said John Kelly, who has turned his property into a Marvel and DC Comics wonderland with Batman, the Joker, Spiderman, and two enormous rooftop spiders. "I'm going to try to have a web, shooting over to this tree over here," he said.
He and his wife, Meredith, got the inspiration from their young daughter, Kylie, who will be dressing up as Supergirl. "We saw the costume first and we thought she was going to be cute, so I was, like, 'that's our theme,' " said Mr. Kelly. The display -- part Gotham City, part Metropolis -- has a nighttime skyline backdrop and a lighted bridge, so far. When it's completed, it will be surrounded by a "cobblestone" wall similar to the one that encircles Central Park.
The East Hampton Village Police Department has encouraged residents who plan to give out treats to first wash their hands and then put the candy in individual bags. The Kellys plan to leave the bags on top of the wall. "The kids can just grab them," Mr. Kelly said. "It's going to be kind of like a drive-through Halloween this year. We don't want kids reaching into a bowl."
"Halloween is my favorite time of year," said Joan Anderson, who lives a few doors down from the Kellys. She usually goes over the top with decorations, but this year, "I wanted to do simple, because I wasn't sure what was going on." Her lawn has been transformed into a graveyard with zombies, skeletons, and a flock of ravens. "I have friends who said their children asked if I was still going to decorate, because they didn't really care about the candy aspect, but they really loved to see the Halloween decorations," she said. "So how could I deny them?"
Her house is ready for Saturday, but Ms. Anderson said she isn't sure whether she'll have enough treats. "The last time we had Halloween on a Saturday, there were like 3,000 kids," she said. "This year I have no idea how many will come, but if I run out of candy, I run out."
