World Through My Eyes: 2025.10.06 Halloween In Lambertville, New Jersey

I've never been a fan of spooky Halloween decorations, but the displays on North Union Street in Lambertville, New Jersey, are legendary. My sister was visiting from Taiwan, and since it was October and we were nearby, we decided to explore this rare Taiwanese streetscape. We went during the day, so while we didn’t experience the spooky atmosphere, we were able to admire the many creative displays.

How did this street develop into a celebrated annual event? It all started with Dolores Dragan, a retired art teacher who transformed her porch and yard into a showcase of hand-crafted sculptures, colorful characters, and playful scenes. She initially displayed her creations in front of her home each year, and her neighbors eagerly anticipated seeing them. Later, neighbors also allowed Dragan to use their porches and yards to display her work, attracting countless visitors to her legendary “Halloween House” year after year—for over 30 years.

To ensure the continued visibility of her work, Dragan decided to close the “Halloween House” and partner with the Lambertville Creative Arts Fund. Starting October 1, 2025, her work will be showcased as The Memory Maker’s Trail of Magic, extending beyond her home and neighborhood to storefronts and community spaces throughout the Lambertville business district for everyone to enjoy. This initiative will not only ensure that Dragan’s work remains part of Lambertville’s story for generations to come, but will also evolve into a broader arts organization that fosters and showcases creativity in a variety of forms throughout the year.

Below are some random photos I took while exploring the area. If you're interested in learning more about "The Magical Path of the Memory Makers" or want to see Dragan's work, you can visit their website.

我從來就不喜歡萬聖節鬼魅恐怖的佈置氣氛，但是紐澤西州蘭伯特維爾北聯合街的萬聖節裝飾是出名的。這次妹妹從臺灣來，正值十月，我們也剛好在附近，大家就一起去探訪這在臺灣難得ㄧ見的街景。我們白天去，少了驚悚的情氛，倒是可以欣賞到許多創意十足的裝飾。

為什麼這條街會發展出有名氣的年度活動呢？原來一切始於一位退休美術教師多洛雷斯·德拉甘(Dolores Dragan)，她利用手工製作的雕塑、色彩繽紛的人物和有趣的場景，將她的門廊和院子變成了一個展示平台，一開始她每年在自己家門前展出她的創作，鄰居們也翹首以盼，之後附近的鄰居們也讓德拉甘用他們的陽台和院子來展示她的作品，年復一年，吸引了無數的人來參觀她傳奇的「萬聖節之家」(Halloween House)，至今已有 30 多年。

為了確保她的作品持續受到關注，德拉甘決定不再開放她的「萬聖節之家」，而是與蘭伯特維爾創意藝術基金會(Lambertville Creative Arts Fund)合作。從 2025 年 10 月 1 日起，她的作品會以「記憶製造者的魔法之路」(Memory Maker’s Trail of Magic)的形式展現，從她的家和社區延伸到蘭伯特維爾商業區的各個店面和社區空間，供所有人欣賞。此舉不僅能確保德拉甘的創作可成為蘭伯特維爾世代相傳的故事的一部分，並能發展成為一個更廣泛的藝術組織，一整年都可以多種形式來培育和展示創造力。

以下是我走馬看花隨手拍的萬聖節或秋季擺設照片。若有興趣想要更了解「記憶製造者的魔法之路」，或想看德拉甘的作品，可到它們的網路平台上看看。