Say hello to the Halloween Santa Clause.

Kevin Farley, who moved to Montesano with his wife Kathy a couple years ago, has taken the Halloween show he started in Yelm to his new home.

As you drive north on North 1st Street and toward West McBryde Avenue, the decorations out in front are hard to miss. There are several tall, spooky, animatronic creatures awaiting your arrival in the front yard. The lot can be seen at least a block south of the two-story house.

The yard features skeletons, a Phantom — which looks like the Angel of Death, a mummy, a werewolf that looks like it’s ready to attack, and a Jack Skellington arch that you walk underneath in order to get to the Farleys’ front door.

Along with those scarier decorations, there are also signs that read “Happy Halloween,” and fun displays such as the trick-or-treating Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, and quite a few Jack-O-Lanterns. The display also wraps around to the side yard.

And then there’s Kevin Farley himself, who spoke to The Daily World on Tuesday about what inspired him to delight his block with such eye-popping, and ghoulish, detail.

“I always enjoyed decorating when I was a kid,” Farley said. “When I got older, I worked too much. But when I retired, I decided to start decorating. I like to make kids happy, and seeing the smiles on people’s faces. We do it for our family. We do it for our neighbors and our friends.”

Farley said it’s really fun for him to see people enjoy his work, which takes a few weeks to finish. Despite the long process, it’s all worth it to Farley.

“To live here on this first street here, which is really main street for the schools,” Farley said, “we get to see all the school kids every day as they pass by. It’s a good location.”

Simpson Avenue Elementary School and Montesano Jr. Sr. High School are both within one-half of a mile from the Farley residence.

Farley said his favorite Halloween decoration is “The Three Stooges.” The display, which Farley features because of the enjoyment he had watching the comedy trio as a child, stands on the window frame near the front door.

In the eight years Farley has decorated, six in Yelm, and this Halloween as his second in Montesano, the overall display has grown.

“It’s gotten bigger and bigger every year,” Farley said. “I actually have a lot more than what’s out there. I just don’t have room to put it all out.”

Farley said he’s got about 150 Halloween decorations and about 400 Christmas decorations.

The size, to Farley, seems to be the main reason his neighbors are attracted to his outdoor display. Farley just wants people to enjoy the season like he and his wife do.

“Everybody can decorate their yard,” Farley said. “To me, it doesn’t matter if you have one item or have 100 items. If you can only put one thing out, that’s fine. You’re trying to enjoy the season. I don’t try to out-do anybody. I just do what I want to do to enjoy. I look for unique things to put out — things that grab people’s attention — and things that’ll make kids happy.”

In 2021, Farley did just that. And he knows it.

“Last year, I think we stopped counting at around 600,” Farley said. “In Yelm, my highest (count) was 950 on Halloween. I had a little clicker, and I was clicking.”

Even after Farley stopped clicking, the children kept coming.

“I know I spent $350 on candy,” Farley said. “That’s a lot of candy. I was giving out 2 to 3 (pieces) at a time. And then as it got later in the night, I had to cut it down to one or two. And then it got down to one (piece.) I almost ran out. I barely made it.”

While Christmas is Farley’s favorite season to decorate, his heart is clearly in it when it comes to Halloween.

“My wife loves Halloween more than I do. I’ve always done Christmas,” Farley said. “I was really digging Christmas and my wife wanted to do Halloween. (In Yelm) we had five acres. You can’t just do a little bit of Halloween on five acres to make it look good. So, I had to do a whole lot. I started buying a whole lot more. It still wasn’t enough for the five acres. But when I moved it all over here, it really was more than I need.”

One thing that keeps Farley motivated to decorate with the size and scope that he does is when he gets someone to audibly react.

“When I see people drive by and they (gasp) like that, then I’ve done my job,” Farley said. “I feel like I’ve made that person’s day. They’ve seen something maybe they’ve never seen before, and maybe they take more interest in it.”

He doesn’t decorate to upstage. He just does his thing, and it’s for the enjoyment of everybody else. He’s glad he has the means to do it.

“I don’t want people to ever think that I’m trying to out-do anybody,” Farley said. “I have the means to do it and I like to give back to the community. Everybody right here’s been real nice to us, so I like to give back and make people happy. This is why I’m here.”

Farley mentioned the current divisiveness throughout the U.S., and hopes his decorations can take people’s focus away from it.

“In today’s times with politics, school shootings, COVID-19, and everything, somebody needs a bit of a break,” Farley said. “When they drive by this house and it gives them a little bit of peace from the world we live in, then I’ve done my job. And it makes me feel good.”

Farley said this year he’s noticed how people are decorating for Halloween more than they did in 2021.

“I’m hoping no one’s trying to compete with me because it’s not worth the trouble. This is a lot of money and I would not want anybody to try to compete with me,” Farley said. “Just, if they can put something out, put it out. If they can’t, don’t worry about it. Go enjoy what everybody else has. Enjoy the moment. That’s what I want you to do, just come by and enjoy the moment.”

With the rainy season upon Grays Harbor County, Farley is prepared to protect the scavenging pirates, princesses, Iron Man, Batman, and Darth Vader who dare to walk among the frightful and the dead that haunt Farley’s front yard.

“I was thinking about going and buying a canopy to put up out front, so I can sit underneath it (for the trick-or-treaters),” Farley said. “If they want to come, they’ll come. If they don’t, they won’t.”

And if the wind and the rain strike to the point where nobody’s out, Farley has an idea for that too. He’s just figuring out the logistics.

“I told my wife if people can’t get out for Halloween, then I’m going to take all this candy and go to the schools, and give it to the schools to hand out to the kids,” Farley said. “Or maybe I’ll sit outside the school and give the candy out. I don’t know. I’ll figure something out, because I don’t need to eat it.”

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World Phantom, the tallest figure in Kevin Farley’s front yard, stands at 15 feet. The haunting look, met with a blue glow from out of his eyes and mouth, sends a fun, spooky tingle up the spine of people who wander along the sidewalk near North 1st Street and West McBryde Avenue in Montesano. “I like to make kids happy, and seeing the smiles on people’s faces,” Farley said. “We do it for our family. We do it for our neighbors and our friends.”