The Knollers started hosting their popular Halloween light show four years ago during the pandemic.
Every night in late October, smiling pumpkins and dancing skeletons flickered and grooved to eerie music outside my home in southeast Colorado Springs.
The tradition of decorating homes for the holidays dates back 15 years, but the addition of evening shows has attracted even more people, especially amid social distancing restrictions.
“It really exploded,” homeowner Melody Knoller said. “We have six kids, so we’ve always decorated outlandishly. My husband’s holiday is Halloween. My holiday is Christmas. So we work for both, and it’s It’s just grown over the years.”
Now, the family is using the momentum to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
Noler is the lead instructor and owner of Taekwondo studio Springs ATA. She and her husband, Chris, will be hosting a nightly light show at their home until October, and starting next Thursday they will also host a haunted house at their studio.
At both locations, the family will be accepting donations to organizations fighting cancer. The light show is free, but tickets to the haunted house start at $10, with all proceeds going to nonprofit organizations.
The American Cancer Society holds a special place in the Noler family’s hearts. Three years ago, Chris’ mother Georgette passed away from cancer. Melody is also a three-time cancer survivor, battling thyroid, uterine, and ovarian cancer.
“For me, that’s a really big deal. I went through a lot of chemotherapy and radiation treatments,” Melody said. “The worst thing is to get sick and have all this treatment and have to worry about how you’re going to pay for it. It’s really nice for me to be able to give people hope that they don’t have to worry about treatment.”
This year’s goal is $2,500. They believe this is an achievable increase from last year, when families raised and donated $1,500.
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“We are getting the biggest response to this cause,” she said. “There are so many people around the world, especially in Colorado, who are going through some form of cancer and treatment, and I know the struggle because I’ve been through it myself. We can get a huge response to this cause because we know how difficult it is.”
To achieve that goal, the family redoubled its efforts.
Melody estimates there are more than 100,000 lights throughout the forecourt display. As for the haunted house, there will be more than 250 animatronics. It takes about two weeks to prepare the lawn show and another week and a half to prepare the haunted house.
Melody said the haunted house is divided into seven rooms that are more than 5,000 square feet. The most popular part is the clown room.
Both events are family friendly. If you have small children (or are scared like me), request a non-scary haunted house walkthrough. Mr. Melody said there was an actor standing there to scare him.
“My students start at 2 years old, so I want them to have fun. I don’t want them to be scared,” she said.
On Saturday and Sunday nights, special guests will appear in the light show and interact with onlookers. Guests include Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Jason, and more.
“Adults are the best because they’re scared of the characters, so it’s fun to tease them a little bit and then high-five them at the end,” Melody said.
“But it’s important for us, especially for young children, that they know that it’s just pretending and that they can have fun and don’t have to be scared. It’s fun to be scared, but it’s okay and it’s safe. It’s fun to know.”
