MOUNT MORRIS, MI — Starting the second week of August, Halloween decorations began popping up in the front portion of 36-year-old Crystal Prado’s one-and-a-half acre property in Mount Morris.

From homemade decorations to store-bought skeletons, some standout pieces include a homemade ticket booth, a carnival prison cell, and a 12-foot Wendigo, the latter of which is Prado’s favorite.

Adding decorations continued until Halloween day.

As the weather approaches the holidays, the front of the Prado property eventually transforms into a spooky trail with a variety of themes for visitors to wander through, a new one tucked around every corner.

Prado said she and her husband, Andy, invested about $40,000 in what they called the Genesee Lighted Halloween Trail. The course is free for all.

After hiking the entire trail, visitors can take photos with two different photo stations.

Over the past two days, more than 100 visitors have stopped by, Prado said.

As the family prepared to welcome even more visitors on Halloween itself, the Prados, including their daughter Layla, 13, stocked up on candy for 350 treats.

Property decoration began four years ago for Crystal Prado, but the trail addition began in 2022.

Some of the Prado’s favorite reasons to decorate include watching the children participating, as well as parents and other visitors strolling the paths.

“I always loved Halloween,” she said, remembering her own days of celebration.

“We would go trick-or-treating, go back to the house, change costumes and go again until we got caught,” she laughed.

Her father, Ron Hyde, also enjoys decorating for Halloween and “goes all out” on his display at Dodge and Elms roads, she said.

The community feedback has been overwhelming for Prado, from positive comments on Facebook to comments from visitors who returned six or seven times to see the show she created.

Many said they invited others to come see us.

“We love welcoming more and more people,” Prado said, “and we love getting all the great feedback.”

For next year, Prado hopes to widen the trail and add more attractions.

This year, the decorations will remain up until Monday morning, allowing those who have not yet been able to spend an extra weekend to witness the family’s dedication to the season.

The Genesee Lighted Halloween Trail is open from after dark until 10:30 p.m. nightly through Sunday, Nov. 3, at 8440 N. Genesee Road, Mount Morris.