Elizabeth Pulanco/Winonan

Halloween, it’s said, is the one night where people are allowed to go crazy with decorations, costumes and candy.

Some people outgrow the tradition. Winona locals Kurt and Laurie Stolpa, however, seem to be able to have fun showing their spooky side without worrying about the age limits.

For the Stolpas, Halloween means decorating their house in the most creative and fun ways possible.

Their yard is covered in tombstones and inflatable ghosts and witches.

The house is lined with several strings of lights. Before entering the home, visitors must go under a black arch covered with cobwebs.

“We do this for the kids,” Kurt Stolpa said. “It’s great to see the kids have some fun while also getting scared.”

Kurt Stolpa has been decorating his house for the past 23 years, and now his wife Laurie has joined him in the occasion.

Every once in a while, Stolpa will hear a coworker or friend talk about “that crazy house with all of the Halloween decorations” and proudly claim that the home is his.

“It’s fun hearing people talk about it,” Stolpa said.

Every so often, Stolpa has to trade out the old decorations for new ones.

Whether it is a malfunctioning inflatable or a broken tombstone, old decorations need to be replaced.

As a generous way to spread Halloween spirit, Stolpa finds ways to repair the old decorations and donates them to families that would not have been able to afford them.

As Halloween creeps closer, the Stolpas are still decorating their house down to every last detail.

Many more decorations and effects are expected to appear Halloween night, including playing spooky sounds.

They will continue decorating until Halloween, where their house will be on display for visitors.

“Parents even ask us to take pictures with their kids,” Stolpa said.

Along with the outrageous decorations, the Stolpas enhance their popularity with the large handfuls of candy they give to visitors when they reach the front door.

“Every year we go through several bags of candy,” Kurt Stolpa said.

This year, like every year, the Stolpas will welcome streams of young trick-or-treaters with a smile, a generous heap of candy, and the lights, sights and sounds of the spookiest house on the block.

Contact Elizabeth at [email protected]