The wet weather Saturday night did little to dampen the spirits of trick-or-treaters in Sparks.
One neighborhood in particular brought thousands to the area, as it has for the past several years.
Thousands of dollars have gone into prepping the multitude of decked-out homes near Reed High School, just off of Baring Boulevard.
Tara Millman-Martin’s front yard pays homage to The Haunted Mansion.
“We did pirates for years and years and years,” she says. “We still have a corner that's pirates, because we just can't give that up. We absolutely love it. And then worked our way into Haunted Mansion just for a little bit of a change. I get crazy ideas, and my husband makes them happen."
Millman-Martin grew up in this neighborhood. After moving to Verdi for a few years, she returned to her childhood home.
She says thousands of dollars and a whole month of work went into her and her husband’s setup, featuring a carriage, smoke machine, and skeletons.
Neighbors tell us thousands of trick-or-treaters flock to this neighborhood every year on All Hallow’s Eve, with 2025 bringing 3,000 to the area.
However, a fixture of the neighborhood is missing.
Mike Potter's next-door neighbor dressed up as Beetlejuice for 32 years but had to retire this year due to his declining physical health. He inspired many houses in the neighborhood to go all out this time of year.
Still, Potter is carrying the torch, decorating his front yard with black cats and pumpkins.
“The first year we did a little bit and got thousands of kids here,” Potter says, “and that inspired us to do more. He inspired us with his decorations and then the whole neighborhood, you know, as you see, does all sorts of crazy stuff."
Trick-or-treaters found a lot to like about the decorations, including a young boy named Brantlee.
“I got a costume about an alien taking me,” he says. “My friend actually gave this to me, and I really liked it. So I wore it on Halloween.”
Brantlee’s uncle, Ryan Evans, came up with a themed set of costumes for himself, his wife, and their baby.
“It's his first Halloween, so we figured, ‘you know what? What better than have Buzz and a couple aliens?’“ he says.
However you spend your Halloween — trick-or-treating, parties, or watching scary movies — don’t forget to stay safe while you enjoy All Hallow’s Eve.
