Haunted Yard Arises From Love For All Things Halloween

The Jarvis family stand at the spectacularly built "Spider Gates Cemetery" gate leading at their haunted yard in southwest Payson last night: (pictured, left-right): Ryker, Jenny, Jarrod, and McKayla.

As the sun dipped down on Halloween night, a haunted scene replete with headstones, skeletons, ghouls, and eerie mist stirred fascination in a southwest Payson neighborhood.  The scene was the home of Jarrod and Jenny Jarvis, and the couple’s two children, McKayla and Ryker Jarvis, a place where, for the second year in a row, they have deployed their artistry in celebration of a favored holiday. Halloween.

Jarrod Jarvis is the mastermind behind the haunted yard family project.  His skills were honed while young, working at the Utah State Hospital’s Haunted Castle with his mom, Lori Nuttall.  

Thus began his love of all things Halloween.

Over the years, Jarrod slowly built up his collection of decorations, buying many at post-Halloween sales.  Last year, he finally decided to start his own Halloween yard haunt, because McKayla and Ryker were getting too old to go trick-or-treating.  He found great ideas online, and then built the fence and small pillars around the front yard last year.

After months of preparation leading up to this year’s celebration, the Halloween house was ready for trick-or-treaters trickling through the neighborhood as darkness drew over the town Friday night.  Spotlights were aimed at the ghoulish figures resting among the mist blowing from a smoke machine, highlighting a scene on par with virtually any professional set.  

The yard drew passersby from their cars to take photos and chat with the Jarvises about their process.  They have had such a great reaction from neighbors and trick-or-treaters that, this year, Jarrod decided to add to the scene all the more than last year’s display.

Not too many people these days decorate their yards in such a way.  But Jarrod loves making Halloween fun for kids of all ages.  Every year, he works to make it bigger and better, and he has already begun to plan out next year’s haunted yard scene.