10/31 • NewsCalifornia

Halloween: Witch’s den and haunted forest sprout in South Bay neighborhood

By Amanda del Castillo

On Halloween night, Church Drive in San Jose is crawling with people looking for a good fright.

Neighbors Bob Schiro, Ryan Martelino and a “Boo Crew” of a dozen people spend two months building a massive, Hollywood-like Halloween display across Schiro and Martelino’s front lawns.

Martelino said Schiro has led the neighborhood effort for more than a decade.

Schiro has previously turned his front yard into a ghostly pirate ship, a haunted mansion and a version of the Hotel De Anza, fit for Halloween.

“There’s a lot of work that was put into this, a lot of detail,” Martelino said. “And we just want to be able to share this with everyone.”

The detail in this year’s “Wicked” Halloween display is impressive by anyone’s standards. There are spider webs, witches, werewolves and scary monsters lurking around every corner.

Organizers schedule a “no scare” tour for the younger crowd. Then at 7 p.m., lightning signals “scare time” for anyone looking for a good fright.

“There’s a few spots in there that there are a few people hiding, and that’s just… it’s amazing,” 12-year-old Aiden McGinley told ABC7 News.

The two-day, haunted Halloween experience is free to visitors. However, coordinators request guests bring a donation of canned goods for the Second Harvest Food Bank.


Does your town need smart short-term rental reforms? Sign below!