Spooky Season Takes Over an Estates Corner
A Halloween decorating tradition grows each year as Estates Residents Tom and Sandy Coone get into the holiday spirit.
Halloween has officially taken over one corner of San Diego Country Estates, where Tom and Sandy Coone have turned their home at the corner of Arena and Glenn Ellen into a growing Halloween display that is hard to miss.
The Coones have lived in their home for 21 years, but their Halloween decorating tradition began just four years ago. What started with one witch has gradually grown into a collection of approximately 13 or 14 animatronics and Tom says the collection isn't finished yet.
Visitors to the display can expect to see witches, dragons, dolls, gargoyles, a monster and a Grim Reaper, along with witches brewing up something mysterious. Another animatronic is also waiting to be added to the collection.
“I just started doing it and I think it’s really cool,” Coone said.
Tom, who owns Estates Tree Service, works on the Halloween display whenever he can fit it into his schedule. He puts up decorations at night after work and spends time working on it during the weekends. From beginning to end, it takes approximately three weeks to get the display completely set up.
For Tom, part of the fun is watching the display grow each year. The couple started with a witch and continued adding decorations as they found new pieces they liked. Sandy has also contributed to the growing collection, helping turn what began as a simple Halloween decoration into a much larger neighborhood display.
The display has become especially popular because of the Coones' location. Their home is among the first set of houses in San Diego Country Estates, making it an easy stop for families heading out for Halloween. On Halloween night, the area around their home can become busy with trick-or-treaters, and cars often park nearby as families make their way through the neighborhood.
With all those trick-or-treaters, Tom knows better than to underestimate the amount of candy needed.
He spends approximately $300 to $400 on Halloween candy each year. Despite the large supply, the candy doesn't last all night. By about 9 p.m., the Coones are usually out of candy and the Halloween activity begins to wind down.
While the decorations and animatronics are certainly the attraction, the reason behind the display is much simpler.
Tom and Sandy enjoy doing it for the kids and for everyone who gets a chance to see it. In a time when many people are busy and stressed, Tom says he likes the idea of creating something that can make people smile.
“We like to do it for the kids and to cheer everybody up because a lot of people are stressed,” Coone said.
That community spirit is what keeps the tradition going. Each year, Tom and Sandy add a little more, and their Halloween display continues to evolve.
For three weeks, Tom works after hours and on weekends to bring the spooky scene to life. Then, on Halloween night, the hard work pays off as families stop by, children admire the animated decorations and hundreds of pieces of candy make their way into trick-or-treat bags.
And with another animatronic still waiting to join the collection, it appears the Coones aren't done growing their Halloween tradition just yet.
For now, their corner of the Estates has become a little bit spookier and a whole lot more fun.
