How one couple transforms their home in Rouzan into a sight to behold each October

By the time October rolls around, most decor shops are already months ahead, decked in a flurry of winter-themed decorations. Sorry, Halloween. It’s already Christmas.

Because so many home boutiques and big box stores press fast forward on the holidays, it’s no wonder some don’t go all out with spooky decor. With minds set on sugarplums and Fraser firs, sometimes a skeleton propped on outdoor furniture or a carved pumpkin on the stoop will have to do. But on Rouzan’s Deaux Parc Drive, Halloween gets plenty of love, with spooky scenes covering porches and front yards.

For Lacy and Jeannine Crouch, Oct. 31 is akin to the Super Bowl, and they prep accordingly to create slightly scary, yet oh-so-silly, scenes. It started in 2021 with a witch animatronic holding a faux head over a cauldron. Another year, a bunch of bayou witches set up on the property, complete with lasers and fog machines to create a swampy display.

“We love Halloween. We love creating a space, and we find great enjoyment in decorating,” Lacy says.

In 2024, Lacy and Jeannine debuted The SpookEasy, a 1920s-inspired set with a bartending “deathologist” named Dean, drunken skeleton patrons, bottles of potions, a headless horseman and a hearse parked out front. Just like the years before, their setup earned a decorating award from the neighborhood.

“I wanted to be like Michael Jordan and go above a three-peat,” Lacy laughs. “Then we got a four-peat.”

This year, The SpookEasy is back in business, with some additions, of course. Expect a nearly 7-foot skeleton that can be programmed to say unique phrases to be part of the crew. Back in August, Lacy was already recording her own scripts and recruiting family members to help with storytelling.

The Rouzan house has become quite the destination for Halloween lovers, and Lacy and Jeannine enjoy seeing strangers marvel at their decor. Since starting their decorating, others on the street have joined in. They and the neighboring homeowners even throw a block party on trick-or-treat night. And while she’s not entirely certain, Lacy says she likes to think they might have inspired other over-the-top displays in the neighborhood.

“[The neighborhood] has bought into what we’re doing,” Lacy says. “Now there might even be four awards because it is getting so much bigger. And we truly want people to beat us, and we encourage them to do it.”

For the couple, Halloween planning starts months in advance. That’s when Lacy starts scouring online Halloween decor groups to see what pieces and life-size figures might be dropping at spots like Home Depot. They take stealthy strolls through the store, gazing up at high shelves to peek at what Halloween items could be lurking in boxes.

As for storing the figures after Halloween, Jeannine is the master. Much like a game of Tetris, the growing gaggle of animatronics perfectly fits in the attic, for now. If more decor gets added, a storage unit might be in the Crouches’ future. Jeannine says the figures are mostly stored in one piece instead of being taken apart, to ensure an easy setup usually during the last week of September. Believe it or not, they say putting it all together takes just one day.

“We actually had to get the back part of our attic floored,” Jeannine says. “That’s pretty much where all of our Halloween stuff goes, and then our Christmas stuff has its own little section. It’s quite the party up there. There are multiple characters just hanging.”

After October closes, the Crouches keep up the festive spirit by busting out Christmas fixtures. With Halloween being Lacy’s favorite and Christmas being more Jeannine’s jam, it’s only right. The December display includes a talking Santa, reindeer, toy soldiers and even some faux snow. And, yes, there’s a neighborhood award for “Santa’s Favorite.” And, yes, they’ve won it, too.

But regardless of awards, Lacy and Jeannine decorate because they love doing it and love what it does for their little part of the community.

So don’t be scared to slow roll or stroll by 2029 Deaux Parc Drive during the holiday months. With 20 to 30 people stopping by their house a night in October, all are welcome to come out, see the display and get into the spirit of the season.

This article was originally published in the October 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.