Haunted House Decorating Contest now open for entries

The duo behind Screams From the Basement Podcast is taking over the Haunted House Decorating Contest, started by Friessen Development, Inc., in 2020.

Casey Kelderman and Sam Lenz are the people behind the podcast, which celebrates horror films on their weekly podcast called Screams From the Basement. They also host a number of horror-related events throughout they year, especially in October. They seemed like the perfect pair to hand off the Haunted House Decorating Contest.

In 2020, Lake Lorraine developers Friessen Development, Inc., added the Haunted House Decorating Contest to their outdoor Halloween at Lake Lorraine event. It was still during the time of Covid and a volunteer shared this idea as a way for the community to safely enjoy Halloween activities and to celebrate those who love to decorate for the holiday! The inspiration — remember “Christmas Lanes” and how families would hop in the car and drive around to see how people decorated their homes for the holidays?

With Screams From the Basement now managing the event, not much will change. There’s no entry fee and winner(s) will receive cool prizes/gifts from Lake Lorraine businesses. We hope this partnership will expand participation by the number of entrants and a broader audience who appreciate Halloween.

Learn more about Screams From the Basement Podcast here. The launch new episodes each Friday, featuring the best horror double features and interviews with the industry’s creators.

Halloween at Lake Lorraine’s 2026 event is Saturday, Oct. 10, from 1-3 p.m. along the Lake Walk. See the Facebook event for more details.