HENSALL, ONT. -- Haylee Caldwell and her kids are putting the finishing touches on their spooky Halloween display on Richmond Street South in Hensall.

This is their first year, and it only happened because the family wasn’t able to head south this fall.

"Normally we go visit family in Cleveland on Halloween, and because we can’t cross the border this year, we told the kids we’d do our own setup at home. It’s pretty common in the neighbourhood we visit family at, so we thought let’s try our own," says Caldwell. 

As most projects, it started small but just kept growing, until witches and goblins covered their entire front yard. 

Part of a Halloween display

"We decided to homeschool the boys this year so this was sort of a fun homeschool project. They go to do some woodworking, some painting, and some art," says Haylee. 

The display took about three weeks to set up, and has already scared some brave visitors. 

"One night we were out and some friends came over and we were all in costumes. I jumped out and totally freaked out their mom," says Mason Teed, Caldwell’s son who helped set up the spooky display. 

The Caldwell’s display isn’t just meant to scare people, it’s also a "food-raiser" for the Huron County Food Distribution Centre. 

Hensall Halloween display
A family in Hensall collects food for the Huron Country Food Distribution Centre with their Halloween display, Friday October 23, 2020 (Scott Miller / CTV News)

"The foodbank seems like a pretty practical way to give back. Anyone can just stop by and put some food in a bin," says Caldwell. 

The display will be up from now until Halloween on Richmond Street South in Hensall.