A chilly October breeze blows through Lethbridge. Carved pumpkins and faux cob webs are popping up on doorsteps all over the city. A little Halloween spirit is customary, sure, but in the heart of downtown, one couple has made a tradition of going overboard.
John and Carrie Kerber moved into their London Road home over 20 years ago. Having always had a taste for the unusual, the couple saw their first Halloween in the home as an opportunity to unleash their creative sides.
Though they didn’t know it at the time, John and Carrie were sparking a tradition that would grow and evolve over two decades. Years later, the Kerbers home has become a fixture in downtown Lethbridge.
The theme and design has changed several times over the years. For their first display, the couple transformed their front lawn into a graveyard.
According to Carrie Kerber, the inspiration for this display came naturally, as the state of their yard was already quite grim.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The front yard was all dirt. It had been a rental for years that just wasn’t taken care of. So we figured, it’s already spooky enough to be a graveyard let’s start with that,” said Carrie.
The Kerbers brought the graveyard back again the following year, adding more faux headstones and props. Year after year, the couple would attempt to one-up themselves by building a more extravagant display.
Their ideas eventually outgrew their front lawn, prompting them to start decorating the entire exterior of the home.
With the help of friends and contractors, the Kerbers outfitted the house to look like a medieval castle. This included a moat, a wooden, faux-brick façade that covered the entire front face of their home and even multiple life-sized skeletons to set the scene.
This extravagant display took over a month to assemble and attracted attention from residents all over the city.
Like the graveyard, this set-up evolved each year until the Kerbers felt inspired to switch it up once again. They began constructing the pirate ship in 2009.
This set-up includes another wooden façade covering the entirety of the house to transform it into a full-scale ship. The ship’s deck is manned by a full crew of plastic skeletons, ready to set sail into the night.
The front yard is also littered with skeletons and various other props. The couple has even added smoke machines, sound and lighting elements to the yard in recent years.
This display continues to grow each year, according to Carrie the couple continues to collect décor year-round and never considers the display to be finished.
“No way, it’s never finished. It all kind of started on napkins at breakfast. Doodling ideas and designs. And that’s still how it is now, John will come up with an idea to re-do this or add this,” Carrie explains.
The pirate ship house has become an icon in downtown Lethbridge, amassing over 1,200 trick or treaters on their busiest night. Many residents say they look forward to the décor every year.
Meghan Venables, a London Road resident, was born and raised in Lethbridge. She has fond memories of the house from her childhood and awaits the grand display every October.
“The pirate ship house has been a staple of downtown for as long as I can remember. Every Halloween, everyone’s always excited to see it and I love walking by,” said Venables.
Venables has lived in the area for several years and notes that festive gestures such as this are important to the heart of the city, particularly in the current political climate the downtown faces.
“I think what people don’t realize is that there’s so much going on downtown despite the stigma. I think things like the pirate house are a great opportunity for parent to bring their kids downtown and see that it’s a safe and fun community to be a part of,” Venables said.
According to Carrie, she and her husband have no intention of retiring the pirate ship any time soon.
She says the reactions from trick-or-treaters each year make the intensive set-up worth it.
“The looks on kid’s faces Halloween night are always worth it. Sure, it’s a lot of work. But it’s also a lot of fun and there is so much fun to be had,” Carrie said.
For more information and updates on the yearly display, follow the Kerber’s’ Facebook page.
