Ho-Ho-Kus Pocus

IT WAS THE FALL of 2020 and more than six months into the pandemic when sisters Missy McCloskey and Cassie Cavallo began to worry about the fate of Halloween.

The usual celebrations and gatherings were off, and social distancing would make trick-or-treating…well, tricky. But at a time when people really needed lighthearted fun and some kind of connection, they were determined to come up with something.

A Halloween House Tour, where residents volunteered to decorate their homes and friends and neighbors could see decorations from the safety of their cars fit the bill. The sisters thought maybe a handful of people would join in. To their surprise, more than 32 homeowners signed up, many going all out with incredible displays.

“It quickly turned into something magical for all ages and showed us how special Ho-Ho-Kus is—full of families willing to embrace a fun, whimsical idea,” McCloskey says. “Since then, the tradition has only grown bigger and better each year.”

This year’s tour will be especially thrilling, since it will take place the night before Halloween—Thursday, Oct. 30—a scary good way to kick off the holiday weekend.

A ‘BOO’-TIFUL TRADITION

McCloskey and Cavallo say each year, between 20 and 30 houses participate, making for about an hour-long driving tour. Anyone can sign up, and over the years, the decorations have only gotten more creative, they say.

On tour night, ticket holders will receive an email with pickup instructions for their map and route so everyone can follow along. People vote for their favorite houses and this year five winners will receive cash prizes.

“Families spend weeks planning, building, and decorating, all to create a night where kids and adults light up with excitement,” Cavallo says. “We love seeing carloads of families, kids in the backseat with grandparents or friends, laughing, pointing, and smiling the whole way through.”

The tour comes with a booklet including descriptions of each stop on the tour, noting which houses are deemed particularly scary in case families choose to skip those.

The Rosato family, referred to as “Halloween royalty” in last year’s booklet, is one such stop, having won Scariest House five years in a row, featuring themes like “Slaughterhouse Five,” “The Dead End,” “The Freakshow,” and “Toy Trunk.” And on the more kid-friendly end are displays like 2024’s “It’s the Great Pumpkin…Ho-Ho-Kus!” by the Foster-Moore family (which took home the award for Most Fun display) and “Skeleton Olympics” by the Im family, which took home the Best Details award.

While some participants change their theme each year, others stick with the same concept; those stops have become fun traditions that people look forward to, McCloskey says. Like the Smith sisters, Tina and Cindy, with a “Hocus Pocus” theme that’s sure to make visitors feel like they’ve stepped into the 1993 cult classic movie.

Tina says she’s always loved the fun of Halloween and the movie “Hocus Pocus.” She grew up in the borough and fondly remembers the Ragamuffin Parade at Ho-Ho-Kus School and the Halloween Window Painting downtown. Overall, they love making people smile as “friendly witches.” Cindy says their display looks like what you’d imagine “if Halloween threw up.”

“We see something fun or interesting and get it—there’s really no rhyme or reason to our decorating,” Tina says. “There’s lots to look at: different colors, lights and combinations. We take a childlike view with our decorations. It’s spooky not scary; we don’t like being scared.”

McCloskey and Cavallo say each year excitement builds, with certain families becoming “can’t miss” stops. Chattering amongst borough kids about what each house might do also builds anticipation and magic.

“What started as a neighborhood experiment has become a beloved town-wide tradition that people genuinely look forward to,” McCloskey says.

The founders say the families who decorate are the true stars of the tour. They’ve built everything from full-scale pirate ships to haunted graveyards and silly, playful displays that make the little ones laugh.

“Each family brings their own personality into it,” Cavallo says. “The creativity is amazing, but what really shines through is the sense of generosity. These families aren’t just decorating for themselves; they’re putting in all that effort so that hundreds of kids and parents can have a magical night. Their energy is contagious, and it’s what makes the tour such a success.”

Each year the event relies on sponsors that the sisters say are an essential part of making the Halloween House Tour happen. From local businesses to community organizations, their support helps cover the costs of running the event—things like signage, safety measures, prizes, and logistics.

McCloskey and Cavallo started a 501(c)(3) in 2024 called Friends of Ho-Ho-Kus. Its mission is to take the proceeds from the tour and put them directly back into meaningful projects for the town.

Funds raised from the 2024 and 2025 tour will go toward the creation of a new garden and landscaped space at Ho-Ho-Kus School— something the entire community can enjoy for years to come, the sisters say.

McCloskey and Cavallo grew up in Saddle River and each returned to New Jersey with their families within the past 10 years. They have six kids between them, ranging from pre-K to 7th grade and say they’ve found a “gem” of a community in Ho-Ho-Kus.

“It’s closeknit, family-oriented and full of traditions,” McCloskey says. “At the same time, it embraces new ones, like the Halloween House Tour, with open arms.”

“What makes Ho-Ho-Kus so special, without question, are the families who live here,” Cavallo adds. “The Halloween House Tour is just one more example of how this town comes together to create lasting memories for everyone.”

BY SARAH NOLAN