As Halloween approaches, the Mercer Island community comes together and prepares for a massive celebration. Mercerdale Park sets up for the annual Pumpkin Walk; local shops garnish their windows with cobwebs and homes erect strange displays of inflatable clowns and ghoulish gravestones. Bolstered by the notorious autumn showers and eerie shadows of the Pacific Northwest, spooky exhibits shine bright at night. Undeniably, Mercer Island has a massive quantity of astoundingly well-decorated houses.
“[Halloween] creates a community of spirited individuals,” holiday enthusiast Alex Perry said. “I think it creates a sense of inclusion and fun on Mercer Island.”
“[Halloween is a] fun time for everyone to come together,” MIHS student Caroline Kelly said. Despite the creepy atmosphere associated with the date, Halloween is a fun and community-building event. Decorations add to that atmosphere and strengthen community bonds.
“[There are] a lot more people going around trick-or-treating, especially in [The Lakes],” MIHS sophomore Nate Bernson said. Many Mercer Island residents have significantly large amounts of disposable income that can be spent on decorating for holidays. Several communities on Mercer Island, largely The Lakes, are known for their “porch pride” or competitive lawn displays that also contribute to the impressive amount of decorations on the island.
While walking down the decorated streets of Mercer Island, Halloween displays — sometimes lighthearted and sometimes amusingly disturbing — evoke feelings of cheerfulness and inclusion. While setting out carved pumpkins and inflatable ghosts may seem like an insignificant action, it adds to the spirit of Mercer Island in a surprisingly substantial way.
