Man Who Inherited Massive Halloween Display Hopes To 'Keep The Spirit Going'
CIRCLE PINES, Minn. (WCCO) -- When building a Halloween display, it can be difficult to know when to stop.
Mike Pederson already has more than 30 hours invested into his decorations.
"With this weather that showed up, I was like, well, I'm going to keep adding," said Mike Pederson, who's building a Halloween display in Circle Pines.
He inherited this annual task last year. Much of Pederson's display was donated to him by Ryan Ridgely, a Richfield homeowner who would go all out for Halloween.
"Even this year I don't feel like I'm up to his standards," Pederson said.
Ridgely moved out of state and asked Pederson to continue his Halloween tradition.
Pieces of Ridgely's display, including a headless horseman and a ghost garden, are now up around Pederson's yard. However, the new owner is adding lighter elements like smiling pumpkins.
"He did more of the scary, the more gore and blood, we're more on the friendly, scary side right now," Pederson said. "We do have more kids on our street I think than he did."
There was one part of the Halloween display that did not change with ownership.
Over the years, Ridgely collected hundreds of costumes for kids in need. Pederson has a donation box out front and is waiting for his first donation.
"They can just drop costumes off and then we can take them to where they need to go and get them into the hands they need to be in," Pederson said. "Just making sure everybody gets to keep the spirit going of Halloween."
Pederson will turn on the lights surrounding the display from 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. every evening.
The address is 3871 Flowerfield Rd. Circle Pines, Minnesota.