The Tonganoxie couple starts decorating their home and yard in early September. When it’s not Halloween season, the couple’s basement and sheds are filled with those ghoulish decorations.

So on Sept. 1, 109 E. Third St. starts taking on a Halloween wonderland day by day.

“My husband does all the heavy lifting and I do all the planning and creativity,” said Theresa (pronounced Three-suh).

Now a week before Halloween, their yard is an outdoor haunted house of sorts. Visitors can wind their way through the yard. The No Petting Zoo “welcomes” visitors before the scene turns to the classics: Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers ready to greet guests.

figures dotting the property. The petting zoo is filled with skeletal versions of various animals, such as dragons, reptiles and fish and “cats, bats and rats,” Theresa said. There’s even a potentially possessed demon deer that was a holiday reindeer in a previous life.

“I’ve always loved Halloween,” Theresa said. “I’ve never had as big of a display as we have now. It takes time to accumulate all those types of things.”

The Laffery’s Halloween fever originates in Iola. Previously board members for a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization there, they organized a fundraising haunted house that benefited the charity annually. Organizers rented out a local commercial garage. They built various walls and mazes inside the garage, with proceeds from admission going to the charity.

Andy’s military career brought them to the Tonganoxie area a few years ago. For two years at Spooktacular, the couple set up a smaller version of their spooky space downtown for the annual Tonganoxie Business Association-sponsored event that brings many families to Fourth Street for ghoulish fun and candy the Friday before Halloween.

The last four years the couple has created that space in their front yard.

Children and families are welcome to tour the spread and take some candy. The display is open to visitors as long as all of the lights and inflatables (when it’s not too windy) are on. Younger children check out the display during daylight hours. The sunlight subdues the scare factor for the youngsters.

Andy starts putting items out on Sept. 1, per Theresa’s master plan. Theresa said two of the couple’s daughters, two grandchildren and a son-in-law also come up from Newton to lend some hands along the way.

Details are her specialty,” Andy said about his wife’s contributions, which he said also are the most labor intensive.

“He did the cobwebbing,” Theresa interjected.

Theresa also admits some mischievous moments occur. She’ll ask her husband to fetch this or that where she’s planted a motion-activated decoration.

There also will be more candy for those visiting before or after heading Friday night to Spooktacular. And, of course, on Halloween this coming Tuesday.

Theresa estimated the couple purchased 50-60 pounds of candy in anticipation of this year’s Spooktacular and Halloween. They also hand out toys to youths who visit.

Last year, 500 children visited the display, Theresa estimated. “That’s not including parents,” she said.

The neighborhood attraction, which is just east of U.S. Highway 24-40 on Third Street, has drawn visitors from Kansas City, Olathe, Leawood, Lansing, Lawrence and other spots in the area.

“Some were from Topeka this weekend, actually,” Theresa said.

Word about the attraction has spread through social media, whether through Theresa sharing posts or visitors taking to TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms documenting their visits.

Andy said the couple donated a 1957 Chevy to the Tonganoxie High School Auto Tech Club. The THS group used portions of the vehicle to build a bench of sorts that was sold as part of its annual auto show fundraiser.

Andy excitedly pointed out a door from the car that students doctored up with a skeleton that is suitable for hanging on a wall, which the couple plans to do.

People have donated items for the annual display, while Theresa also finds items and garage sales and online.

When the calendar hits Nov. 1, many are a day closer to planning for Thanksgiving and Christmas. For Theresa, that’s when she starts mapping out next year’s Halloween display, sizing up what to keep, change or tweak.

The bottom line for the couple is to help create some memories for others.

“We never charge people and we never will,” Theresa said. “We just want people to have fun.”