‘Chaos on Colman’ offers spooky Halloween fun

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Some eerie things happen on a stretch of Colman Street, between 14 Mile and 15 Mile roads, each October.

A whole host of creepy stuff can be found along a section of the street for the Halloween event Chaos on Colman. From skeletons to werewolves, each lawn display is elaborately decorated. Many of the houses have a theme including a pirate graveyard, butcher shop, pet cemetery, nuclear waste containment zone and circus funhouse.

If you were to walk down the street five times you would notice a new quirk with each pass. Oh yeah, and there are a whole lot of clowns, both in the displays and walking among the crowds, looking to give unsuspecting attendees a scare. One lawn even features a grave marker for Tillson Street, throwing down the gauntlet for Romeo’s legendary Halloween display.

Jackie Gregory, who has one of the displays and is an organizer for the event, said some of the displays feature handmade items.

“Every year we get a little more crafty, we add more to what we can buy,” Gregory said. “We just enjoy doing it, it’s something we love to do.”

While it can be scary, there is some good that comes from the event. This year, all proceeds from a raffle go toward Matthew’s Mighty Mission. According to its website, the nonprofit supports those who have disabilities by providing information and resources, and by working to improve families’ relationships.

The event has raised money for Crowns Against Cancer, The Butterfly Collective and KnowResolve. In its first year raising funds, over $6,000 was raised for Crowns Against Cancer. KnowResolve, last year’s selected nonprofit, received about $25,000.

Nine raffle baskets, ranging from $800 to $1,200 in value, were up for grabs at the event for Matthew’s Mighty Mission.

Where do all the decorations go the rest of the year?

Gregory compared putting the items away to the video game Tetris.

“It’s hard to get it in, but we find a way,” she said.

Despite this, Gregory said it can be difficult trying to limit the number of decorations that are bought and made. Each year brings new ideas about how to improve the event.

“We say it every year, but then when the year comes, we’re like, ‘Oh, maybe a couple more,’” she said. “Every year it just keeps growing.”