Justin Davis starts assembling his exterior Hallween decorations in early September in his backyard so that everyhing is ready to put in place in the front yard on Oct. 1
(Photo by Chad Mantooth)
TAMMYE NASH | Mannaging Editor
Nash@DallasVoice.com
There’s long been a joke that, for the LGBTQ+ community, Halloween is the true high holiday, or the “gay Christmas,” if you will. But why?
Perhaps because Halloween has long been a “safe space” where folks who have to hide who they really are in their day-to-day life can freely express themselves.
Maybe its because LGBTQ+ people are seen as — and too often see themselves as — outsiders, “weirdos” who don’t fit in, so we can identify with the monsters, ghouls and spooks of Halloween lore who also “live outside the norm.”
Maybe it’s because LGBTQ people are just more creative and inventive and fun and interesting than “normal” folks, and Halloween lets us show that creativity off to its best advantage.
For East Dallas resident Justin Davis, it’s the chance to let his creative side shine bright that has always been the draw of Halloween. And each year, he does just that — through elaborate costumes for himself, elaborate decorations that make his home a must-see stop for every trick-or-treater and his elaborate Hallween party that is always one of THE parties of the year for his friends.
Recently, Justin sat down to talk with Dallas Voice about where his love of Halloween comes from and how and why he goes to such lengths to make it such a special time.
Dallas Voice: When and why did you start going all out for Halloween in decorating your house and in costumes for yourself? What is it that you love so much about Halloween? Justin Davis: For as long as I can remember, I have had a huge love for Halloween. Even as a child, I never wanted a store-bought costume. I couldn’t make it easy for my mom and dad and just let them get me a store-bought costume. I know they were always wondering where I came up with my crazy ideas, but they always supported me and let me be me!
I always wanted to be something new and creative and original. I would get my grandmother to help me create my vision with her sewing machine — whether it was a clown, a scarecrow, a vampire or some hairy, mean monster on stilts. I always enjoyed decorating for Halloween because I felt like it was more creative than other holidays. You get to think outside of the box and create a whole new world, something fun for all ages.
I love Halloween because I feel like it’s a day that anyone can participate in and just be a kid for the day, whether you want to go all out like I do or keep it simple. It’s the most inclusive holiday there is. Religion, sexuality, race, gender, or social status — doesn’t matter. You can be broke and just throw something simple together to wear and go out and have just as much fun as someone who goes out and spends tons of money on an elaborate costume.
I know plenty of people who don’t celebrate Christmas because of religious reasons. You don’t have to have a date to celebrate Halloween like you do Valentines. It is just a day to have fun if you want to have fun, and no one is gonna shame you if you don’t want to do it — well, maybe besides me. It’s just a fun holiday with no pressure.
When do you start planning your decorations each year, and how long does it take you to get all the decorations up and ready to go? Do you do it all yourself? I usually start setting up my indoor decorations at the beginning of September. I get the inside done, then I start preparing the stuff for the front yard. I work on all of it in the backyard, so it’s ready and made for me to sit out in the front yard by Oct. 1. I want to have it up for the whole month for the neighborhood to enjoy.
I do most of it myself, but I do get some help from my tolerant roommate and some incredible friends. I couldn’t do it without all of them. They support my crazy ideas, and I think they get a kick out of seeing me in my element. I know sometimes they think I’m crazy, but when it all comes together, everybody has one hell of a time.
Where do you find your decorations? Do you buy them ready-made or do you make some of them yourself? I get my decorations from everywhere. I make a lot myself from scratch — styrofoam tombstones or a cemetery fence — but I also buy quite a bit.
I have been collecting Halloween decorations since I was a kid. One good thing about Halloween decorations is the more they age, the spookier they get they get. Even if a couple pieces broke off. A lot of my big items I get from Home Depot. Home Depot comes out with a bunch of the viral Halloween decorations like the famous 12-foot skeleton
Where do you get your ideas for your costumes and characters? Again, do you buy costumes or costume pieces ready-made, or do you create your own? Maybe a combination of both? A lot of times I try to create my own character. Something dark and spooky is usually my go-to. I don’t do a lot of blood and gore; I like classic Halloween — skeletons, zombies, witches and demons.
Over the years I have made quite a bit. Whether I have friends helping me sew or I pull out the hot glue gun. I buy pieces and put a lot of looks together. I prefer to come up with something original, so I don’t run into other people dressed as the same character all night.
What is been your favorite out of all your costumes? It’s hard to choose a favorite; I’ve had so many fun ones. I made a really cool werewolf costume about 10 years ago; I shredded a bunch of wigs and hot-glued them to a whole suit. I actually covered the hair in glue and rolled it around and dirt and leaves to make it all matted. He was a hit for sure. I also made a winged bird creature a few years ago for Block Party. It was a lot of fun, it’s but hard to get around with eight-foot wings.
What do your neighbors think about it all? Is your house an attraction for lots of people? How many trick-or-treaters do you usually get each year? The neighbors actually really are supportive. I think, at first, they weren’t sure what was happening when they looked at the window and saw a cemetery across the street, but over the years I have received so many notes from children and adults in my mailbox telling me how much they love it and appreciate it. I have had neighbors drop me off bags of candy to help out and even hand me cash to help me because they know how much I’m spending.
One time I had a gentleman pull up and thank me for everything that I’ve done. He said it has created a community in the neighborhood and that he and his wife appreciate me bringing trick-or-treaters back to the neighborhood. He said their children have grown up and moved away, and they look forward to having families and children come to their house to trick-or-treat; it gives them great memories of them with their kids back in the day. He also said it’s a great way to know your neighbors and all to look out for each other.
Since I’ve been doing this, I will say I have met most of the people in my neighborhood. Luckily, I have not had any bad responses to it. But I’m sure some of them aren’t happy about how much more money they have to spend on candy because I bring so many more kids to the neighborhood!
What is your average cost each year for all the decorations and costumes? This is a hard question. There have been years that I’ve spent $1,000-$1,500 on a costume alone. And there’ve been years I’ve got by with just recycling and repeating things. Some of the silicone headpieces I have made start at $700. And I have quite a collection of those.
As far as decorations go, that’s a whole other story. I would say minimum of $1,000 a year, and I would be embarrassed to say a high number. But in my mind, there’s a lot worse things to spend money on.
It’s a whole lot of work, and every year I question why I do it. But then on Halloween night, when you see all the kids and families laughing and having a blast, it makes it all worth it.
What’s the one thing you think most people don’t know/don’t think about related to the kind of decorating and costumes you do? It’s a whole lotta work! And it takes a lot of tolerance. The costumes are usually very uncomfortable and extremely hot. They are not something you wear to be comfortable. Sometimes they’re not even enjoyable. I do it for everybody else, for everybody else’s reactions and for everyone else to have a good time with. That’s what makes me happy. The amount of sweat that I lose on a night wearing one of my heavy big costumes is ridiculous. And I’m usually extremely sore the next day.
And last, what did I not ask about that you want to mention? I have volunteered and worked in many haunted houses throughout the DFW area for more than 15 years. I started out working at Hangmans House of Horrors in Fort Worth when I was 16 years old. I volunteered there for years raising money for the multiple sclerosis foundation. After that, I helped one of my biggest Halloween role models, Dean Jarnig and his wife Janine, in building and acting in Zombie Manor in Arlington. We raised money for the women’s shelter.
Dean was a huge influence to me in my Halloween world. He is someone who taught me so much that I know and love about Halloween. He taught me more layers is better in making a scene more detailed. He always helped me step up my game in my costume and decor world. Some of my favorite memories were when we used to make home haunts at his house for all the neighborhood trick-or-treaters. That’s what influenced me to do what I do in my neighborhood for my trick-or-treaters.
