For Nate and Megan Schwarz, Halloween has always been more than a little candy and a costume. After all, when you get married on Halloween, celebrating the occasion with a yard full of skeletons, witches and homemade animatronics seems pretty appropriate.

At their home at 670 North School in Colby, the couple’s love of the holiday spills into the yard each fall. Skeletons, corpses, gremlins, witches, spiders and other creepy creations help set the scene. But behind all those spooky faces is a simple goal: bringing people together.

Kristina from NWKS Radio recently stopped by to visit with Nate and Megan about their decorations, their Halloween traditions and the friendships that have grown along the way.

The couple moved into the neighborhood 11 years ago, landing across the street from someone who already knew a thing or two about welcoming trick-or-treaters.

“We live across the street from Mr. Pat, and Mr. Pat already had a big crowd,” they shared. “We just made it bigger.”

And bigger might be an understatement.

What once amounted to just a few trick-or-treaters has grown into more than 500 people visiting their home on Halloween night. Their collection of decorations now numbers in the hundreds, although getting an exact inventory might be scarier than anything in the yard.

Asked how many decorations they have, the answer came easily: “I couldn’t tell you. Far too many.”

Their enthusiasm started before they moved into the house, but having room to spread out gave their Halloween imagination a place to run wild. Today, the display includes unique decorations and homemade animatronics, with plenty of surprises waiting for visitors brave enough to take a closer look.

Still, the most meaningful part of the tradition isn’t something they can plug in or prop up in the yard.

“We invite everybody to come and see it. Not just the kids,” they said. “We want everybody out on Halloween walking around and visiting.”

For the Schwarzes, Halloween offers something special: a reason to walk through the neighborhood, knock on a door and meet someone new. Over the years, those short visits have turned into lasting friendships.

The display has also drawn visitors from well beyond their neighborhood. They recalled guests from Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Colorado who were visiting family locally, along with people traveling from several surrounding towns specifically to see the house. They have even started keeping a visitor book to help track where everyone comes from.

Of course, visitors should expect a few things that go bump, or move, when they least expect it.

The couple describes Mr. Pat’s display across the street as a welcoming stop for the younger crowd. Their own yard offers a little more of a bravery test. Some children are perfectly happy watching from the driveway, and that is part of the fun, too.

Those driving by before Halloween can already catch a preview, but the full production waits until the big night.

“I’ve got a lot out, but there’s twice as much to come on that day,” they explained.

This year, the Schwarzes plan to begin welcoming trick-or-treaters at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, with plans to keep things going until at least 10:30 p.m., depending on the weather and how long visitors continue arriving.

They also encourage people to explore other decorated homes around Colby. Their neighborhood has plenty of Halloween spirit, including a nearby resident who changes her skeleton display daily, and they enjoy being part of a community of people who share their enthusiasm.

Their advice for Halloween night is simple: get outside, take a walk, visit neighbors who have their porch lights on and enjoy the effort people have put into making the evening special. Be kind, be respectful and leave the decorations ready for the next visitor to enjoy.

For Nate and Megan, the hours of work and growing collection all come back to the smiles, the conversations and the chance to give kids a Halloween memory.

“It’s an act of love,” they said. “We don’t ask for anything out of it. We do it because we enjoy it and because we get to see the kids be happy and have fun.”

And if one of those young visitors grows up to fill a yard with spooky creations and welcome the next generation of trick-or-treaters? That would be a pretty sweet reward.

To see the Schwarz home in all its spooky glory, stop by 670 North School in Colby on Halloween night, beginning at 6 p.m. Bring your costumes, your curiosity and a little courage. The full display comes out for Halloween, and Nate and Megan are ready to welcome the community.