BROOKEFIELD, Wis. — The Stein’s in Brookfield already has its shelves stocked with Halloween decor, and while some shoppers say it’s too soon, others say it’s never too early to prepare for the spooky holiday.
‘Summerween’ is a time where halloween decorations pop up in stores during the summer season.
“Pumpkins in August! Really?” said shopper Diane Olsen. “Halloween stuff. I’m serious. How could they have Halloween stuff this early?”
Plenty of shoppers share the anti-summerween sentiment.
“I think it’s too early. Actually one store had it like a month ago. Way too early,” said shopper, Sally Anlin.
But for skeleton lovers like Jimmy Zamzow, it’s never too early to start prepping for the holiday.
“I don’t think it’s too soon, because I like to start getting my ideas. Some people just put up like a basic pumpkin or something like that, as where I go all out with a theme,” said Zamzow.
Every fall on Holy Hill Road, Jimmy decks out his front yard in a skeleton-filled skit. He’s done themes like “Till Death Do Us Part,” “A Dead Man’s Party” and even a deadly bike race — and he spends thousands of dollars on these displays every year.
“The money is nothing. It’s fun. I love doing it. It’s the hours that I spend that, if my wife had her choice, I would be retiring the Halloween display,” said Zamzow.
Watch: ‘Summerween’ sparks split opinions among shoppers and an avid decorator
As a full-time carpenter and Halloween display artist who’s been decorating for more than 25 years, Jimmy has found some ways to save.
“The biggest thing is to try to be in advance, to get your stuff the year before and get stuff secondhand,” said Zamzow.
While many roll their eyes at the thought of Halloween in the summer, Jimmy hopes to see more creativity and savings along the way.
“Once you pick your theme, your ideas are just going to pop into your head,” said Zamzow.
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