I know it may not feel like it, but summer is slowly winding down. The tide has definitely turned now that vacation mode is coming to an end.  Time to think about getting the kids (or you) ready for the new school semester and making plans for the last half of the year and all that comes with it. Autumn and winter celebrations are still a safe distance away but thoughts may occasionally drift toward festivities and special gatherings on the agenda for later this year. This is kind of like the calm before the storm for many people.

Many, that is, except for the members of the Visual Merchandising Team at Rogers Gardens. Here the storm has been blowing for a few months and is now picking up speed! For us the thoughts of Halloween and, dare I say, Christmas are never far away. Throughout the year the Creative Director and Buying team are busy planning the next season as the current season is still going full force. Due to this we’re exposed to bunnies and baskets before Valentines Day and Jack o’ Lanterns before Independence Day. It’s normal for us but for those of you sensitive to the subject of the H-O-L-I-D-A-Y’s I’ll try to break you in slowly.

What I’m trying to say is…OK ready?… we are about to start Halloween setup! (How’s that for slowly!) I know, I know. BUT if you are familiar with our past set ups you can understand why we start so early. It’s HUGE! And this year is no exception. And although the set up starts now, we have been working behind the scenes on it for about the past month and a half. Here are a few examples of some the projects in progress:

During the past three years that I’ve worked here I have fielded many questions as well as accepted many nice comments from customers about out holiday displays. Many people have asked how we do it, how long it takes and where the ideas come from. If you were wondering the same things, then this is the blog for you! In the next several weeks of set up I will be giving you exclusive behind the scenes access! You will see how drastically the area changes in a very short amount of time and how much work goes into designing, building and placing the props to create that chilling, haunted atmosphere. The transformation is quite amazing and detailed which is why this is truly my favorite time of year.

So grab your favorite zombie or vampire and strap in. It’s going to be a thrilling ride!