Local Halloween Tradition Ready For Visitors

"We started this in our front yard for our grandkids a few years ago," said Brian Sondag. His wife Sadja laughed and added, "yeah, all twelve of them."

Sondag's Haunted Yard is what they're referring to. It started as a front-yard Halloween display in 2023, and has grown into a full loop around the house.

Located at 6 Bruce Lane, La Porte City, you can enjoy this spooky walk through thrills, spooks and scares at your own pace. The walk starts in the driveway, runs around the back side of the house, and ends in the front yard with an animatronic spooky band jamming to Halloween tunes.

The Haunted Yard runs Sunday-Thursday 6:30-10:00 PM and Friday-Saturday 6:30-11:00 PM - the last date the yard will be open is Halloween Night. With the Main Street bridge closure, the Sondag's are hoping that people will still come visit the Haunted Yard. "It's not the best timing," Brian said, but the Highway 218 bridge project is complete, so at least the detour doesn't require waiting on a stoplight.

Sadja mentioned that if you stop by on Halloween night, they'll have candy and refreshments including hot chocolate since it's looking to be a cool evening. And if you'd like to support the Haunted Yard, which is free to visit, you can do so via cash (drop box between garage door and animatronic band), CashApp ($sadie41998) or Venmo (@sadie72). Donations are used for upkeep and expanding the Haunted Yard.

The walk is free enter at your own risk - metaphorically and practically, especially at night when it's dark. Sadja also mentioned, for littles, feel free to stop by when the sun is still up before the displays are turned on - that gives a lower spook-factor while still being able to check out the display.