Park Slope parents may swear by Montessori toys and organic snacks \u2014 but come Halloween, it\u2019s all plastic fangs and candy corn on the Brooklyn neighborhood\u2019s tree-lined streets.<\/p>\n
And in this storybook version of spooky suburbia, where every stoop tells a tale and every shriek of laughter echoes off the brownstones, there\u2019s one particularly haunted block locals are ready to crown the most fun \u2014\u00a011th St. between Prospect Park West and 8th Avenue.<\/p>\n
As early as 3 o\u2019clock in the afternoon on the scariest night of the year, the first wave of trick-or-treaters could be seen flocking to the strip\u2019s selection of show-stopping displays.<\/p>\n
Park Sloper Sally Krause (right) brings the scary to her Brooklyn block on Halloween eve in an elaborate witches\u2019 costume. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n
The vibes at 606 11th St. were pure Halloween harmony \u2014 guitarists Camp Childers and Mike Coon dueled over spooky movie riffs on the steps as kids gawked, grooved, and took turns petting Inca, Childers\u2019 schnauzer sidekick dressed as a bat.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople in Park Slope are more enthusiastic about Halloween than any other holiday, I think,\u201d Coon told The Post, as toddlers began lining up for candy. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re always completely out by 5:30 because there are so many kids trick or treating,\u201d he added. \u201cWe can never get enough candy to prepare for Halloween on this block.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cOur neighbors with the dinosaurs out front got the whole ball rolling. They started the tradition of decorating on this block,\u201d Childers explained.<\/p>\n
He was talking about Marcel, Cheryl and Jack Van Ooyen, father, mother and son who created and decorated the \u201cJurassic Park Slope\u201d stoop, complete with a towering T. rex, stegosaurus and brachiosaurus guarding their front steps.<\/p>\n
Cheryl and Marcel Van Oonyen are known for their annual displays at 594 11th St. between Prospect Park West and 8th Ave. \u2014\u00a0this year\u2019s theme is Jurassic Park. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n
Outside 594 11th St., the John Williams\u2019 \u201cJurassic Park\u201d theme blared from speakers as kids gawked at the life-sized dinos \u2014 and grabbed candy from the Van Ooyens, who were decked out as park rangers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been decorating our stoop for 17 years,\u201d Marcel told The Post, noting that every year they do a different theme. This year, the family liked the pun, \u201cJurassic Park Slope.\u201d<\/p>\n
About three years ago, he and his neighbors took things up a notch \u2014 getting a permit to shut the block to cars and let the ghouls roam free. \u201cNow, it\u2019s turned into a big, fun block party,\u201d he said with a beaming smile. <\/p>\n
Father-son duo Stephen and Roman Barr served up some graveyard humor in front of their home at 634 10th St. in Park Slope. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n
\u201cBuilding our decor every year is so rewarding when you see how excited the families here get and the children\u2019s reactions,\u201d Cheryl added. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen \u2018Jurassic World Rebirth\u2019 was released this summer we knew we had to do this for Halloween 2025. We started building the dinosaurs in our living room last month. We might make Santa hats and put them on the dinosaurs for Christmastime decorations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The family built their dinos from scratch \u2014 starting with wooden frames, layering on chicken wire, landscape fabric and spray foam to give them that scaly, lifelike skin. <\/p>\n
The block of 11th St. between Prospect Park West and 11th Ave. is a top draw in the city for its Halloween displays and trick or treating. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n
The Van Ooyens even recycle their creations \u2014\u00a0this year\u2019s T. rex was previously a giant rat, a \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d dragon and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many kids in Park Slope, and they love dinosaurs. So many are dressed up as them this year,\u201d he said, adding that the theme worked out perfectly. <\/p>\n
Across the street at 597 11th St., the Iarussi family went full nautical \u2014 with swirling tentacles, a shipwrecked vessel bearing a lifebuoy labeled \u201cPark Sloop,\u201d and a stage jutting off the steps where the crew greeted trick-or-treaters below.<\/p>\n
The scene has become so big, the block now shuts down \u2014 turning into one big party, neighbors say. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n
They dressed the part, too \u2014 as pirate princesses, sea captains and mermaid goddesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been doing this for seven years. We were inspired by our neighbors, the Van Ooyens,\u201d Adam Iarussi told The Post. <\/p>\n
His daughter Laila Iarussi, and her friend Lexi Bonfils, came up with the idea to have an underwater sea tentacle theme with a sunken ship.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was like July 28,\u201d Adam said, noting that the family usually plans their Halloween decor months in advance every year.<\/p>\n
Much of the activity on the block centers around 597 11th St., where the Iarussi family is known for their serious commitment to Halloween decorating. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n
\u201cWe locked down the concept then and started sketching about it and thinking about it. We started working on it the weekend after Labor Day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last year, they made a giant Beetlejuice-inspired display, and the year before, it was Barbiecore. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always a big family art project,\u201d Deborah Iarussi said, adding that it\u2019s also their way of meeting \u201call the kids on the block\u201d who come up and down the street all October just to see the updates on their decor leading up to Halloween.<\/p>\n
For spooky season-loving Slopers, decking out the front steps isn\u2019t just decoration \u2014 it\u2019s tradition, said Vivien F., proprietor of the popular Park Slope Living social media feed. <\/p>\n
The Iarussi family poses in front of their Park Slope home. The annual event is a \u201cbig family art project,\u201d mom Deborah told The Post. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means a lot to our community and all the neighbors who put in months of effort into spreading cheer,\u201d she told The Post. \u201cOur strong community, beautiful architecture and leafy streets make this the best neighborhood to celebrate Halloween in. <\/p>\n