Each piece in William Kapmeyer’s yard in Throop tells a story.
There’s a gravedigger he and a friend transformed. A scarecrow used to be an old witch. A clown on the porch is made from spare parts.
All were inspired by the 15-year-old’s late grandfather, who indulged his grandson’s love for Halloween.
On his favorite holiday, the Mid Valley sophomore wants visitors to his yard at 147 Dunmore St. to experience fear, but also joy. He'll welcome the public to his Lackawanna County display on Halloween night.
“I’ve just always loved pumpkin patches, carving pumpkins,” said Will, as he's known by family and friends. “The display this year is my favorite.”
Obsessed with pumpkins
As a toddler, pumpkins already captivated Will. Before the age of 2, he became obsessed with a YouTube video of a house decorated for Halloween. Pumpkin faces on the house moved and sang “This is Halloween.”
“He would go around in a circle in the middle of the living room and sing the song,” said his mom, Shannon Kapmeyer. “That’s when we knew he loved Halloween. But I never in a million years would think that it would turn into this.”
His late grandfather, Gary Bolus, taught him how to carve pumpkins. When Will started to swim, Bolus promised him a pumpkin for each lap he completed. Bolus, who died in 2022, bought him more than a dozen pumpkins that day.
Bolus always wanted to take Will into a Spirit Halloween store, but Will was too scared of animatronics that jumped and screamed. His grandfather eventually convinced him — and Will never turned back.
“My grandfather was great … he was one of my favorite people on earth,” Will said. “He would buy me a spaceship if he had the money.”
Spooky experience
Will walks through his yard, which he calls “Doom on Dunmore.” Orange and purple lights line the paths, past characters that move, illuminate and speak. Some are purchased from stores, others found at garage sales or rescued from the garbage. Some he made himself.
As the sun sets over the mountain, fog machines create a haze. Some cars on the busy street slow down for a closer look.
Will’s younger sister, Abby, used to be scared of the large “Big Bad Wolf” standing near the center of display. But now, the 11-year-old loves it.
“My brother's amazing,” she said. “He does an amazing job to do his Halloween stuff. He works really hard to do it.”
Will has taken his love for Halloween online, creating a following on his YouTube page, where he “unboxes” animatronics. As he grows his display, he hopes to grow his subscribers, too.
His mom, Shannon, and dad, Fred, never expected their yard to be taken over by spooky witches and menacing clowns. They were reluctant at first, but now embrace it.
“He's so creative with it that I can't help but let him do it,” his mom said. “He loves it. Why am I going to stop him from doing something he loves?”
