John J. Kim / baiduhaiLights from vehicles streak past Halloween decorations in the 1000 block of Sheridan Road in Winnetka.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiA giant, 12-foot pumpkin skeleton rises up in the yard of Jim and Dawn Slanker in Carol Stream, one of several moving animatronic creatures in the home haunt.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiAndrew Ryan, 4, left, and his brother Johnny Ryan react with delight as they look at all of the Halloween decorations and spooky items in the Slanker yard along the 300 block of Canyon Trail.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiA headless horseman in the yard of Jim and Dawn Slanker in Carol Stream.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiA figure steps out of the shadows in the 9700 block of 52nd Ave. in south suburban Oak Lawn.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiA giant skeleton towers over visitors checking out the home's Halloween transformation.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiHalloween decorated home in the 9700 block of 52nd Ave. in south suburban Oak Lawn.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiSkeletons and gravestones in the Slanker's "Canyon Trail Cemetery."
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiFlying witches grace the "witch's hut" outside the home of Jim and Dawn Slanker, along the 300 block of Canyon Trail in west suburban Carol Stream on Oct. 17, 2020.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiThe "Loftus Haunt" in the 9700 block of 52nd Ave. in south suburban Oak Lawn. Online community news site like Patch are another place to look for guides.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiA zombie pops out of a fence post in the Slanker yard in Carol Stream.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiA zombie pops out in the yard on the 300 block of Canyon Trail on Oct. 17 in Carol Stream.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiSomething with teeth greets visitors at 9028 Sproat Ave. in south suburban Oak Lawn, about two weeks before Halloween.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiVisitors check out a Halloween-decorated home at 9028 Sproat Ave. in south suburban Oak Lawn.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiA dark figure flies over the "witch's hut" outside the home of Jim and Dawn Slanker in west suburban Carol Stream.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiHalloween decorated home in the 9700 block of 52nd Ave. in South suburban Oak Lawn on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. (Chris Sweda/baiduhai)
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiFigures inside the windows at 9028 Sproat Ave. in south suburban Oak Lawn.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiAn entrance post slides down to reveal a skeleton in the yard of Jim and Dawn Slanker in Carol Stream.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiSkeletons and skulls outside the Halloween-transformed home haunt at 5133 W. 101st St. in south suburban Oak Lawn. Some folks the Tribune spoke with about their displays were contractors, electricians or engineers.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiHalloween decorations transform the outside of a home at 5133 W. 101st St. in south suburban Oak Lawn on Oct. 16, about two weeks before the holiday.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiJim Slanker, who works in IT, makes adjustments in his yard before night falls on Canyon Trail in west suburban Carol Stream. Many of the dozens of creepy Halloween-themed decorations outside the home are hand crafted.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiVisitors gather outside the Slanker home in Carol Stream, two weeks before Halloween.
Chris Sweda/baiduhaiCrowds gather to look at the Halloween decorated home at 9028 Sproat Ave. in south suburban Oak Lawn on Oct. 16.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiThe Halloween-transformed home haunt at 5133 W. 101st St. South suburban Oak Lawn is known as a neighborhood with one elaborate house after another.
John J. Kim / baiduhaiClear plastic mannequins, dressed up as ghosts, hang off tree limbs as Halloween decorations in the 1000 block of Sheridan Road in Winnetka on Oct. 15.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiIn South suburban Oak Lawn, lights and running skeletons decorate a home for Halloween along 9700 block of 52nd Ave.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiA zombie pops out of the ground in the Slanker yard along the 300 block of Canyon Trail on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 in Carol Stream. The Halloween-themed yard features several dozen handcrafted spooky items including a rising 12-foot-tall skeleton and pumpkin, flying witches, slithering snakes, terrifying zombies, and several other animatronic creatures. The couple have been doing this for 15 years and have named their halloween home the Canyon Trail Cemetery. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiThe Halloween-transformed home haunt at 5133 W. 101st St. in Oak Lawn, starring Pennywise from "It."
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiSkeletons and skulls outside the home haunt at 5133 W. 101st St. in south suburban Oak Lawn. This is a banner year for Halloween decorating, and skeletons seem to be the most popular theme.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiWanna play? Wanna come over and watch a movie? Dolls and a video from the "Friday the 13th" series decorate a home at 9028 Sproat Ave. in south suburban Oak Lawn.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiThe "witch's hut" outside the home of Jim and Dawn Slanker in Carol Stream. The couple call their annual Halloween creation the Canyon Trail Cemetery.
Stacey Wescott / baiduhaiCrowds gather outside the Slanker home in Carol Stream, on a Saturday evening two weeks before Halloween. Jim and Dawn Slanker say they've been decorating like this for Halloween for 15 years.
Chris Sweda / baiduhaiOutside a Halloween-decorated home in the 9700 block of 52nd Ave. in Oak Lawn. Among Halloween enthusiasts, hand-crafted displays beat off-the-shelf props bought at Home Depot every time.
John J. Kim / baiduhaiClear plastic mannequins, dressed up as ghosts, hang off tree limbs as Halloween decorations in the 1000 block of Sheridan Road in Winnetka on Oct. 15.
John J. Kim / baiduhai
1 of 34
Lights from vehicles streak past Halloween decorations in the 1000 block of Sheridan Road in Winnetka.
ExpandPUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Halloween feels a little different this year, doesn’t it? For some, Oct. 31 might just mean turning off the porch light and watching scary movies. After all, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended avoiding traditional trick-or-treating.
But for others, 2020 anxieties are playing out in a variety of creative ways. Popular costumes reflect our shared pandemic experiences of the year. Many of us have gone big with house and yard decorations. (The skeleton vignettes are epic.) And we’re readying our Rube Goldberg-esque contraptions to deliver treats via zipline and candy chute.
Nope, Halloween isn’t canceled, but it’s definitely something else. Send photos of your scariest, funniest Chicago-area Halloween house or apartment decorations to [email protected], and we’ll put them together in a photo gallery for all to see. Please include your name and town or neighborhood.