MiraLago, a Parkland neighborhood, ran its first Halloween decorating contest for residents this year, and several families went all out to compete. Jill Fox wrote about the contest for Parkland Talk, describing how her son, Madden, entered the contest after years of admiring neighborhood decorations.
Madden, now 16 and a licensed driver, designed the family’s winning pirate display. He used spare parts from old decorations and models he printed on his 3D printer. For a smoking cannon, he found a model online and bought the rest of the materials at Home Depot to build it from scratch.
The Mish family, John, Kim, Jacob and Lexi, won the spookiest house award. Kim said the family decorates like this every year, but she liked the idea of a contest. She said Halloween has been her favorite holiday since she grew up in the Northeast, and she hands out candy while the kids trick-or-treat with friends.
Javi, Sofi, Tito and Gaby Ungo took best overall for an elaborate display of Halloween animatronics.
The contest gave residents a reason to show off their displays on the same street, and Fox said seeing her son bring joy to children in the neighborhood meant a lot to her.
