Frederic Sandy’s “31 Days of Halloween,” A Forest Hills Tradition Behind The Scenes at The Spooktacular Halloween House!

Views: 273

By Michael Perlman

There is no shortage of Halloween decor, festivities, and treats in Forest Hills. On Halloween or “Hallowe’en,” derived from “All Hallows’ Evening” in Old English, Austin Street and Metropolitan Avenue shops and restaurants, apartment buildings, schools, and banks are among the destinations that cultivate a neighborly and creative spirit. The adorned Forest Hills Gardens’ rowhouses along Burns Street and nearby offer a field day for homeowners and trick-or-treaters spanning all generations.

A Halloween mastermind is Frederic Sandy, who along with his family, has called Forest Hills home since 2007. He is the originator of the “31 Days of Halloween” at 87-23 69th Avenue near Metropolitan Avenue and Sybilla Street, and often begins decorating on the first day of fall. He is a licensed real estate broker with Orion Homes Realty, whose heart is dedicated to neighborliness and community spirit, and is, above all, a family man. “It’s great to see folks start passing by early in September, to see if we have begun,” said Sandy. When this real estate and property management professional is not giving back to the community through his trademark Halloween decor and festivities, he cultivates his passion for amateur astronomy, plays guitar, and is also up for a nature hike.

The “31 Days of Halloween” is a Forest Hills tradition that has continued to grow since 2014. Annually, new visitors uncover the buzz of what feels like the ultimate haunted house, and loyal visitors are eager to see what will distinguish it from earlier years. He explained: “This year, the 112th Precinct is allowing us to close the block for improved safety. With the foot traffic, this is a great idea. We added our biggest animatronic ever… a 15-foot scarecrow that is an absolute eye-catcher! We are big rock ‘n’ roll fans, so with the recent passing of Ozzy Osbourne and local native Ace Frehley of KISS, we will be listening to a lot of Ozzy Osbourne and KISS, along with all the Halloween favorites.” Traditional tunes could include Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me,” Bobby Pickett’s “Monster Mash,” as well as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “Ghosts.”

For the first time, the Sandy household will be accepting candy donations, since it is a large part of their budget, and as Halloween falls on a Friday, additional foot traffic is anticipated. Furry friends will receive treats too.

A notable attraction is marked by the community’s participation in the “100 Pumpkin Challenge,” which entails dropping off creative pumpkin carvings, enabling local residents to play a role in the process by contributing to the extravagant display. “The more jack-o’-lanterns we receive, the better it makes our house a standout. The first year we arranged that was in 2020, which symbolized having the community stand together in midst of all the negativity. I really strive for the pumpkin challenge, and find it really heartwarming when folks wish to be part of it,” he said. For the Jack-o Lanterns Donation Zone, the public can tag #100pumpkinchallenge on social media.

“The 31 Days of Halloween has definitely grown, which is obvious in the crowds,” Sandy said. “It also shows in the interaction we receive on our ‘ForestHillsHalloween’ TiKTok channel. We literally have followers from all parts of the world, and it is so cool to think that such a small house can grab so much attention.”

To embark upon the Halloween expedition through photos and videos of earlier years, as well as uncover additional intriguing details this year, visit www.ForestHillsHalloween.com. An online countdown has begun. As of this writing, it reads, “10 days, 23 hours, 8 minutes, 54 seconds until Halloween.” The community can tag the ultimate Halloween house on social media with #foresthillshalloween and #foresthillshalloweenhouse.

Behind-the-scenes facts reflect a family affair and community spirit from holiday to holiday. Sandy explained: “Our decorations begin on the first day of autumn. Our attic is almost filled to capacity, and it is very taxing, since there is not a lot of headroom. We literally use a chain to bring everything down and out to our backyard. There we begin building, and then moving everything to the front of our house. Larger props are built on site. Our backyard will be very messy during this transition. Putting away decorations is not on anyone’s favorite to-do list, since the energy is not the same. However, what motivates my kids and I is that as soon as our Halloween decorations go away, we prepare for the holiday season. Before you know it, we bring down our Christmas decorations.”

Since the outdoor festivities are very time consuming, costume ideas often emerge late in the game. “Certain years we try to dress up as a theme. We will dress up as characters from the movies ‘Despicable Me’ and ‘IT.’ Every year, I kind of wing it by putting something together at the last minute.”

Prior to coordinating the “31 Days of Halloween,” Sandy’s family and friends would only host Halloween parties. He explained, “I’ve seen trends over the past few years of ‘Summerween,’ where enthusiasts begin getting into a Halloween spirit very early. While I myself don’t do that, it is tradition to begin decorating on the first day of fall and hopefully be ready by October 1. To dress up our house for the community to come only on one day would be a disservice, so we like to think that beginning on October 1, the season begins, and our house is open for business.”

The spooktacular ambiance may make a visitor feel as if they jumped into another dimension, as beauty is in the detail, and music offers a stage production vibe. He explained, “Some decorations are over ten years old and require extra care, as most are not meant to be outdoors, so lots of time goes into fixing some decorations. Getting our lighting to be just right is the key to making our decorations stand out. We dedicate a lot of time towards moving things around, just to capture the right mood. Having music in the background has been a success, adding to the experience. On Halloween, we go from having spooky ambiance music to having a full-blown party vibe with the most famous Halloween hits and other great tunes.”

Halloween is undoubtedly a multi-generational holiday, according to Sandy, who encounters many adults and their children in costume. He continued, “We see a lot of seniors visiting with their adult children in the neighborhood, while taking leisurely walks. There are times when I am outside fixing decorations, and I will engage with many neighbors in the area and have great small conversations.”

The community always expresses their gratitude, which Sandy considers to be a learning experience. “People really appreciate what we do, since the most common remark is ‘Thanks for doing this for the community.’ Over the years, I had good surprises from friends that go back to my childhood, just showing up out of nowhere. The biggest surprise was in 2020 when Fox 5 News produced a story about us. I don’t know who the person is that tipped them off, and I always wanted to thank them. It was very cool and humbling.”

Sandy and his family have not received accolades from organizations, but considers the best reward to be the massive quantity of residents visiting throughout October and especially on the big day. “The ‘Thanks for doing this for the community’ from many residents is the best award we can get. In years past, we have been on TV and in the papers, but the day of Halloween is where we get all the accolades, and it shows in the turnout,” said Sandy.

Sometimes life tosses curve balls. “There is no way I could do this without my family and friends who help. Last year, I was not able to do much, since I was recovering from an injury. In this case, it definitely takes a village. I did most of the organizing, but the physical labor was done mostly by my family,” said Sandy.

Fond recollections of Halloween can be traced to his childhood, which is partially why he takes pride in giving the community much more than a one-day celebration for the record. He reminisced, “I would go to stores to see decorations, and remember thinking how cool it would be to have a lot of decorations. We always lived in apartment buildings, so I was only able to put a few lights in the window and have a pumpkin carved each year. One of my fond memories is going camping during Halloween, and trick-or-treating on campgrounds. It was really amazing to see how everyone was in a festive mood. Being outdoors during the season and viewing all these decorations just did it for me.”

Living in the northeast, he realizes how quickly the seasons change, and for a long time, Sandy treats Halloween as if it was New Year’s Eve. “I jokingly say that on November 1, we will begin our New Year’s resolutions and get a head start. The changing of the season is really like saying goodbye to summer and preparing for colder months ahead.”

The Halloween festivities always generate positive feedback from all age groups, encompassing the small details of the overall theme to the activities. Sandy explained, “Feedback is always wonderful, and it is actually common for people to talk about it at any other time of year when they bump into me. It is always the small details that make it a standout. The best feedback is from kids, who always say the darnedest, funniest, and most insightful things. Feedback will come from some of the first-timers who are a little spooked, but when I see them a few years later, they tell me how they had the time of their life.”

Looking ahead, Sandy’s huge dreams continue to take wing. “My goal is to have an official Halloween parade down Metropolitan Avenue. I am hoping to coordinate it possibly with local businesses and whoever would be able to make this a reality.” Visualizing “The Forest Hills Halloween Parade” of 2026 already has a buzz. To help plan, email Sandyfrederic@yahoo.com.