Bloomfield homeowner frustrated by complaints over longtime Halloween display
According to James Joanow, the situation escalated Friday, Oct. 23, when he learned the Bloomfield Police Department had received numerous anonymous complaints about the display. He says officers visited his home multiple times that evening.
More Stories
A Bloomfield homeowner says repeated complaints about his free Halloween display have led to multiple police visits.
James Joanow, who runs Joanow Holiday Displays, says he has spent more than a decade transforming his home into a Halloween attraction featuring elaborate decorations, animated characters, spooky sound effects and a walkthrough experience for visitors of all ages. The display is free and draws hundreds, if not thousands, of visitors each year.
According to Joanow, the situation escalated Friday, Oct. 23, when he learned the Bloomfield Police Department had received numerous anonymous complaints about the display. He says officers visited his home multiple times that evening.
The following morning, Joanow discovered a flat tire on his vehicle and several nails and screws scattered across his driveway. He says the items were not used for the display, though he could not confirm whether they were connected to the complaints.
On Saturday evening, Oct. 24, Joanow says an officer returned to his home around 8 p.m. and told him the department had received numerous complaints. Joanow says he was asked to shut down the entire display for the rest of the evening.
Joanow says he believes the town’s noise ordinance allows him to operate the sound effects until 10 p.m. He says he disagreed with the request to shut down early but ultimately agreed to lower the volume of the outdoor sound effects and scale back the display for the remainder of the evening.
Joanow says he does not blame the officers who responded to the complaints, but he is frustrated by the repeated police visits and the circumstances surrounding the display.
He says the attraction is not a business and that he does not charge admission. Instead, he creates it to share his love of Halloween and give families a free community experience.
With Halloween approaching, Joanow says he hopes the situation will settle down so visitors can continue enjoying the display.
News 12 has reached out to the Bloomfield Police Department for a statement on the matter and is waiting to hear back.
Joanow is planning to host a Halloween rally on Saturday, Oct. 31, to celebrate the community and support local Halloween displays.
