COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — There's a Halloween display in Comstock Park that's been putting the 'spook' in 'spooktacular' for over a decade. This weekend, it's finally getting the national stage it deserves.
The Dunahee family has put up the elaborate art project, named 'Storybook Hollow,' in their yard every Halloween season for 14 years.
The display will appear on the premiere episode of ABC's 'The Great Halloween Fright Fight.'
The mastermind behind it all is Jennifer Dunahee, a born-and-raised West Michigan woman. For locals, this name may sound familiar.
Dunahee claimed a top spot in ArtPrize in 2022 for her entry, 'Twigg the Forest Dragon.'
Dunahee and her sister, Rebecca Humes, are both artists. They competed against each other in ArtPrize in 2021. Both their entries were in the same venue, and both ended up as finalists.
“Inevitably, people who could have voted for her picked me and people who could have voted for me picked her because we're in the same spot," said Humes.
“We just decided if we did every other year, we can be each other's cheerleader," said Dunahee.
Dunahee and Twigg took the throne that year.
"I don't want to compete with that," laughed Humes. “I know how talented she is."
But Humes was crowned next. She took a top spot in ArtPrize 2023 with her entry 'A Tale of 10 Dresses.'
“I'm so proud of her. And she's so talented," said Dunahee. “I was in tears. It's so beautiful to see everything all together.”
As 2023 was one of her off-years from ArtPrize, Dunahee found a way to keep herself busy. Having an intricate Halloween display that brings thousands to your front yard every year helps.
Storybook Hollow, a fairy tale town, is at peace 364 days a year, as the legend is told. But on Halloween, a curse raises the villains from their graves to take their revenge.
This is the scene played out on Dunahee's lawn year after year for Halloween. It's is an epic, immersive haunted display families can walk through in the weeks around the holiday.
"A lot of the fairy tale origins are really quite dark," said Dunahee in 2022. "So, it’s fun to tap into that a little bit. It's just spooky enough that it doesn't seem baby-ish, but not too scary. We don't have actors jumping out at you. We don't have gore."
“I decided on this fairy tale theme. Well, they don't sell those kinds of decorations. So, I had to start making things," she said.
Eleven scenes make up the town in the yard, including Snow White buying a poisoned apple from the evil stepmother, Captain Hook's market place, and the the cabin where Hansel and Gretel meet the witch with a bakery.
"This is just a boring, four-bedroom ranch, beige, it couldn't be a more boring home," said Dunahee, "But then we cover it."
With the exception of just a few items, the display is handmade by Dunahee. She created the castle and many of the creatures using a type of foam used in set design, chicken wire, aluminum foil and more.
Her favorite part of the display — and the crowd's typical favorite — are the dragons. Her garage is transformed into the "Dragon Livery," featuring Frosty the dragon.
"He’s a mechanical puppet in a costume," said Dunahee, "So, that took five years trying to figure out how to do it."
"I work on it year round," said Dunahee, "Our house is always full of things like that. When I was building Serpentina, it was when schools were closed. So, we were having Zoom school, Zoom dance class, all while moving various parts of this dragon all around the house to accommodate them."
The display is free to walk through. However, for the fourth year, she has partnered with the Humane Society of West Michigan. At the Storybook Hollow Library, also known as her front porch, there is a donation box set up for the animals.
"We get lots of people coming out, and I thought we have potential to do something really cool for the community here," said Dunahee, "It helps when I’m working year round, and if I feel like, 'This is really silly I’m doing this then,' I remember really it’s not just for my artistic expression. It's doing something for the community."
At night, Storybook Hollow is lit up and has extra features. Although, Dunahee said she likes it better in the daytime. She has lots of smaller features and Easter eggs scattered throughout the display. Those include items like "princess detection peas," and "boycott Mrs. Lovett's pies" sign on the Good Witch Society's van.
"I kind of like people to feel like they've been somewhere magical," said Dunahee.
She typically leaves the display up through the first week of November, as people still stop by to check out the display.
And yes, she will be out there handing out candy on Halloween. She estimates they get up to 1,500 trick-or-treaters every year, which takes a lot of candy.
"I will fill a shopping cart," she said, "Then panic, and go back and buy more."
Ahead of the competition, Dunahee says something made them stand out from the crowd.
"Ours was kind of in an odd situation, because it seemed like the other ones were either displays or walkthroughs, like haunted houses that you go in, and ours is kind of in between. So, we had to kind of rework a few things for the show, because ours is a display that you can go into," she said.
“My favorite part is really just sharing this little world that I came up with in my head," said Dunahee.
Make sure to check out Storybook Hollow take on its competitors this Sunday at 10 p.m. right here on 13 ON YOUR SIDE.
Take a tour of last year's display here:
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