Spooky Superior decorating contest returns
Oct. 5—As the city gears up for its annual Superior Spooktacular, community members are invited to help set the mood.
Homes and businesses in Douglas County can showcase their Halloween flair and join in some friendly competition during the Haunt Your House event. Participants can enter online by Oct. 15; judging is set to take place Oct. 21-24.
Last year during the inaugural event, 20 homes and one business put their Halloween decorating skills on display, and organizer Carolyn Nelson-Kavajecz said they're hoping more will join this year. Nine homes entered the contest during the first week, she said.
The addresses of all homes entered in the event will be shared with the media, posted on the Superior Spooktacular Facebook page and shared with the public. A map highlighting the competitors will be created and signs will be posted in the yards of participating homes and businesses by Oct. 19. The decorated sites will compete for top nods in three categories — judge's choice, Facebook voting and selfie.
The selfie contest involves audience participation. People visit the homes, take a picture of themselves in front of their favorite, and post it to social media. The home with the most selfies will be declared the winner.
"This was cool because it got people out in the community and actually viewing the homes in person," said Nelson-Kavajecz, a member of the Superior Spooktacular board. "It was a fun and safe outdoor activity in 2020 and so we plan on continuing the same categories this year. In addition we will add a master's category for last year's winners."
Contestants must submit a photo of their decorated home by Oct. 20 to be included in the Facebook category. The online judging allows people who may not be able to leave their homes the chance to see the decorations and take part.
"It also brought our little Superior event to a global audience, making a local event a worldwide showcase," Nelson-Kavajecz said. "It was pretty cool to see comments from people across the country and across the globe."
Prizes will include custom Halloween trophies, "Winner" yard signs and bragging rights. The free competition is open to homes and businesses in Superior and Douglas County. Call or text Nelson-Kavajecz at 218-260-7771 or Carolyn@SterlingSilverStudio.com for more information.
Other returning events for the Superior Spooktacular include the following;
— A drive-in movie, "The Addams Family," at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 in the World of Wheels parking lot, sponsored by the Superior Elks Lodge.
— Sterling Silver's Superior Spooktacular Parade at 2 p.m. Oct. 30
— Superior Spooktacular Pumpkin Patch, featuring games, candy and a pumpkin giveaway, at 2 p.m. in the Salvation Army of Superior parking lot Oct. 30
— Grandma's North End Nightmare 5K at 5 p.m. Oct. 30, with the Spider Dash at 4 p.m.
— Goin' Postal Fall Music Festival and Poltergeist Pub Crawl from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Oct. 30
