The History of Halloween on Tillson Street
By Vicki Lee:
Many years ago when I was small, my Mom used to decorate special for Halloween. Because it was my birthday, and with all the other activities going, she wanted to make it a little more special for me. Years later when my children were small, I started decorating special for them. I've been on Tillson St. for 35+ years. Back then there weren't many young ones on the street. So when I decorated, most of the neighbors thought I was off my rocker. As the years passed, more and more houses started putting out a few more decorations. Younger families moved in, and even more decorations went up. About 15 years ago, when my boys were out of the trick-or-treating age, they still wanted to stay involved. So they started "Bulldog Security". The Bulldog is the Romeo mascot. My two boys, Mike and David , were in football and track. They invited thier friends to help patrol the street on Halloween against candy thieves and any type of shinanigans that might go on during this fun night. Now, Mike is a coach for the Bulldogs and has recruited his players to help out. They have helped find lost kids, lost belongings, and just a nice visual safe group. A few years ago, one Mom couldn't find her son, she told the Bulldog Security, "He's 9 years old and wearing a Batman costume". That year there were probably 300, 9 year old Batmans. But he was found, he had wondered to to his Grandmas on the next street. This street is fun, spooky and, what I notice the most, is the Family Outings. Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles, all join in for a wonderful night out together. This just makes all of us on Tillson St. enjoy the celebration even more. Seeing families together, having fun and laughs makes it all worth it.
Many years ago when I was small, my Mom used to decorate special for Halloween. Because it was my birthday, and with all the other activities going, she wanted to make it a little more special for me. Years later when my children were small, I started decorating special for them. I've been on Tillson St. for 35+ years. Back then there weren't many young ones on the street. So when I decorated, most of the neighbors thought I was off my rocker. As the years passed, more and more houses started putting out a few more decorations. Younger families moved in, and even more decorations went up. About 15 years ago, when my boys were out of the trick-or-treating age, they still wanted to stay involved. So they started "Bulldog Security". The Bulldog is the Romeo mascot. My two boys, Mike and David , were in football and track. They invited thier friends to help patrol the street on Halloween against candy thieves and any type of shinanigans that might go on during this fun night. Now, Mike is a coach for the Bulldogs and has recruited his players to help out. They have helped find lost kids, lost belongings, and just a nice visual safe group. A few years ago, one Mom couldn't find her son, she told the Bulldog Security, "He's 9 years old and wearing a Batman costume". That year there were probably 300, 9 year old Batmans. But he was found, he had wondered to to his Grandmas on the next street. This street is fun, spooky and, what I notice the most, is the Family Outings. Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles, all join in for a wonderful night out together. This just makes all of us on Tillson St. enjoy the celebration even more. Seeing families together, having fun and laughs makes it all worth it.
Halloween on Tillson explained
By Matt Ponke:
For those who are not familiar with Halloween on Tillson Street, here is some info. We are a dedicated group of homeowners that take Halloween to the next level, while providing a safe environment for children as well as an opportunity to give back to the community.
Romeo Michigan is a small, quaint village made up of historical homes dating back to the 1850s. Tillson Street has become the go-to Halloween destination for all residents of Romeo, as well as thousands of other visitors from the area. We have had visitors from all over Michigan, Ohio and as far as Mississippi to come and visit during Halloween. Each year, the crowds get bigger and bigger. Last year, each homeowner handed out over 2,000 pieces of candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. With about 30 houses that participate, that's over 60,000 pieces of candy in just a couple of hours. And that's just the kids who trick-or-treat on Halloween. Visitors start to come weeks before Halloween, either to walk down and watch us setup or just cruise by in their cars on the way home from the apple orchards nearby. Its entirely impossible to count them all, but we are expecting over 20,000 (yes twenty-thousand) visitors this upcoming Halloween season and roughly 75,000 pieces of candy handed out on Halloween.
But what makes Tillson Street special is not just its size, but that it is truly a family event. The visitors bring their own families to see a close-knit community working together to provide a safe environment for all. The street is closed down during designated trick-or-treating hours to allow kids to go from house to house without worrying about vehicle traffic. On Halloween, the Romeo high school football team (the Romeo Bulldogs, past and present players) volunteers to walk the street in bright safety colors and flashlights to help control the massive crowds, keeping a watch to deter any incidents, and locate a lost child if need be. Michigan has been hit pretty hard by the recession and not everyone lives in areas safe enough for trick-or-treating, so they travel to Tillson Street because they know their kids can have a fun and safe trick-or-treating experience, all at zero cost to them.
And it has truly brought all Tillson Street neighbors closer as well. During the month of October, its very common to find neighbors helping other neighbors with some paint touch ups on their tombstones, or hanging a ghost from a tree, or just spending time with each other on the front porch and enjoying the season. What's truly amazing about this street is that everything that we do for the community is 100% home-owner funded. Homeowners do not receive any funds from local government, grants, private businesses, or local organizations. We do not receive any tax credits, power bill forgiveness, or storage facilities. We do occasionally receive small candy donations, which are greatly appreciated, but it is a great sacrifice of time and money to put on a worthwhile event to the community.
On top of all that, we have a fund-raiser every year that benefits Romeo High School vocational and athletic programs as well as our US veterans. Each year we award scholarships to; high school pay-to-play, the Skills U.S.A. vocational program, the Romeo votec robotics team (the Byting Bulldogs) as well as the Wounded Warrior project. We do this by selling "Halloween on Tillson Street" t-shirts and cookbooks to our visitors. We have shipped shirts and cookbooks all over the country to folks who support our cause. Homeowners do not get a cut of any of these funds as all the proceeds go back into these local and national charitable efforts. See below to learn more about how the scholarship started.
We hope we have inspired you to pay us a visit and see what we're all about on Tillson Street.
For those who are not familiar with Halloween on Tillson Street, here is some info. We are a dedicated group of homeowners that take Halloween to the next level, while providing a safe environment for children as well as an opportunity to give back to the community.
Romeo Michigan is a small, quaint village made up of historical homes dating back to the 1850s. Tillson Street has become the go-to Halloween destination for all residents of Romeo, as well as thousands of other visitors from the area. We have had visitors from all over Michigan, Ohio and as far as Mississippi to come and visit during Halloween. Each year, the crowds get bigger and bigger. Last year, each homeowner handed out over 2,000 pieces of candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. With about 30 houses that participate, that's over 60,000 pieces of candy in just a couple of hours. And that's just the kids who trick-or-treat on Halloween. Visitors start to come weeks before Halloween, either to walk down and watch us setup or just cruise by in their cars on the way home from the apple orchards nearby. Its entirely impossible to count them all, but we are expecting over 20,000 (yes twenty-thousand) visitors this upcoming Halloween season and roughly 75,000 pieces of candy handed out on Halloween.
But what makes Tillson Street special is not just its size, but that it is truly a family event. The visitors bring their own families to see a close-knit community working together to provide a safe environment for all. The street is closed down during designated trick-or-treating hours to allow kids to go from house to house without worrying about vehicle traffic. On Halloween, the Romeo high school football team (the Romeo Bulldogs, past and present players) volunteers to walk the street in bright safety colors and flashlights to help control the massive crowds, keeping a watch to deter any incidents, and locate a lost child if need be. Michigan has been hit pretty hard by the recession and not everyone lives in areas safe enough for trick-or-treating, so they travel to Tillson Street because they know their kids can have a fun and safe trick-or-treating experience, all at zero cost to them.
And it has truly brought all Tillson Street neighbors closer as well. During the month of October, its very common to find neighbors helping other neighbors with some paint touch ups on their tombstones, or hanging a ghost from a tree, or just spending time with each other on the front porch and enjoying the season. What's truly amazing about this street is that everything that we do for the community is 100% home-owner funded. Homeowners do not receive any funds from local government, grants, private businesses, or local organizations. We do not receive any tax credits, power bill forgiveness, or storage facilities. We do occasionally receive small candy donations, which are greatly appreciated, but it is a great sacrifice of time and money to put on a worthwhile event to the community.
On top of all that, we have a fund-raiser every year that benefits Romeo High School vocational and athletic programs as well as our US veterans. Each year we award scholarships to; high school pay-to-play, the Skills U.S.A. vocational program, the Romeo votec robotics team (the Byting Bulldogs) as well as the Wounded Warrior project. We do this by selling "Halloween on Tillson Street" t-shirts and cookbooks to our visitors. We have shipped shirts and cookbooks all over the country to folks who support our cause. Homeowners do not get a cut of any of these funds as all the proceeds go back into these local and national charitable efforts. See below to learn more about how the scholarship started.
We hope we have inspired you to pay us a visit and see what we're all about on Tillson Street.
Frequently asked questions
When do you open?
~ It's a public street so we are always open! You might see homeowners bringing out decorations in early October but the final displays are not up until the week leading up to Halloween. Final touches are happening up to the big day, October 31!
How much is it to visit?
~ FREE!! There is no cost to visit the street. The homeowners are not paid to decorate and do not receive any reimbursement for their efforts. If you are asked to pay to visit the street those monies do NOT go to Tillson Street Residents.
Where do I park?
~ You can park anywhere on the neighboring streets in the Village of Romeo. On a nice evening it is best to walk and check out the street and beautiful downtown stores and restaurants!
Are there any restrooms?
~ There are no public restrooms on the street. Downtown Romeo offers many restaurants with restrooms.
Can we bring pets?
~ It is a public street so yes, you can bring pets. Please note there can be thousands of people on the street at one time so if your pet is a bit timid and nervous it might be best to leave them at home.
Where do you store all the stuff?
~ In every nook and cranny we can find in our homes, garages, basement and barn! (even under the beds!)
I heard you sell shirts, where can I buy them?
~ Yes we do sell shirts! They are sold on the street at 171 Tillson typically a week or two weeks before Halloween. Check our FB page for updates.
Can we trick-or-treat on Tillson Street?
~ Yes, Trick-or-Treating is on October 31 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm every year. Please note the street is closed to ANY vehicle traffic from 5:30pm - 8:30pm. If you park on the street prior to 5:30pm you will NOT be able to move your car until the street is open again at 8:30pm. This is for the safety of the over 2,000 trick-or-treators.
Can I touch the displays?
~ We would prefer that you didn't please! The residents go through a great deal of effort to put the displays together. They give up their weekends and weeknights in October to provide a fun, free, family night out for all. Please be courteous and look, don't touch!
Do I have to wait in line to walk the street?
~ NO!! It is a public street, you can walk down either side at your own pace. We ask that you are courteous to your fellow visitors so that you can all see the displays.
~ It's a public street so we are always open! You might see homeowners bringing out decorations in early October but the final displays are not up until the week leading up to Halloween. Final touches are happening up to the big day, October 31!
How much is it to visit?
~ FREE!! There is no cost to visit the street. The homeowners are not paid to decorate and do not receive any reimbursement for their efforts. If you are asked to pay to visit the street those monies do NOT go to Tillson Street Residents.
Where do I park?
~ You can park anywhere on the neighboring streets in the Village of Romeo. On a nice evening it is best to walk and check out the street and beautiful downtown stores and restaurants!
Are there any restrooms?
~ There are no public restrooms on the street. Downtown Romeo offers many restaurants with restrooms.
Can we bring pets?
~ It is a public street so yes, you can bring pets. Please note there can be thousands of people on the street at one time so if your pet is a bit timid and nervous it might be best to leave them at home.
Where do you store all the stuff?
~ In every nook and cranny we can find in our homes, garages, basement and barn! (even under the beds!)
I heard you sell shirts, where can I buy them?
~ Yes we do sell shirts! They are sold on the street at 171 Tillson typically a week or two weeks before Halloween. Check our FB page for updates.
Can we trick-or-treat on Tillson Street?
~ Yes, Trick-or-Treating is on October 31 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm every year. Please note the street is closed to ANY vehicle traffic from 5:30pm - 8:30pm. If you park on the street prior to 5:30pm you will NOT be able to move your car until the street is open again at 8:30pm. This is for the safety of the over 2,000 trick-or-treators.
Can I touch the displays?
~ We would prefer that you didn't please! The residents go through a great deal of effort to put the displays together. They give up their weekends and weeknights in October to provide a fun, free, family night out for all. Please be courteous and look, don't touch!
Do I have to wait in line to walk the street?
~ NO!! It is a public street, you can walk down either side at your own pace. We ask that you are courteous to your fellow visitors so that you can all see the displays.