Block of San Mateo residents hang jack-o’-lanterns to celebrate Halloween

“When the light hits it just right, sometimes it’s bright enough that it powers them up,” Bunce said. “But they really pop at night because it’s just 70 glowing things floating around and they twist and turn so you never know what you’ll see.” 

When a planned trip to Warner Bros. Harry Potter studio tour in London to experience Halloween as a Hogwarts student was canceled due to the pandemic, Bunce started thinking how he could emulate a similar experience at home. 

“We’re Halloween fanatics,” Bunce said. “We just like the creepy side of the world. All of the spooky-kooky stuff, that’s what we love.”

Tina Roberts, Bunce’s wife, has an online shop called The Witch’s Den where she sells “peculiar oddities” and “antiques of abandonment.” The retail store, which features home decor pieces that are “tailored towards a darker, Gothic aesthetic” now features Bunce’s pumpkins available for commission or purchase. 

The first year, 40 pumpkins were on display, and Bunce tried to get all of the residents in their “quad” of the neighborhood involved. All of the original pumpkins have been displayed each year, save for a few damaged ones, and Bunce has consistently added more creations. 

“Everyone in this building has contributed a pumpkin or an idea for one, and for some of them, it was their first time carving one,” he said. “I try to make pieces reflecting what they like.”

Designs range from iconic Halloween staples to portraits of film legends. The three witches from Hocus Pocus swing near an impressive silhouette of Michael J. Fox from the third Back to the Future movie. Charlie Chaplin bobs near Coraline and Jack Skellington hangs across from Boba Fett.

The neighbors jokingly call themselves the “Super Quad,” and the floating lanterns have become a favorite each October. Residents who have moved in more recently have even donated pumpkins to add to the collection, Bunce said. 

“This is a really cool community,” Bunce said. “Normally there’s a zillion people walking by, walking their dogs, and I know everybody in the community because of it. This quad has been incredible, we go all out for the holidays.” 

Time consuming pieces are more intricate, such as his Freddie Krueger or when he carved all four Ghostbusters on one pumpkin. Bunce said the process can range from 10 minutes to four hours. 

“It’s fun because when I carve them, I can’t see them,” Bunce said. “Until they’re backlit, you can’t really tell a lot of the time. I carve it all out and then see it for the first time, it’s always really exciting.” 

Carving pumpkins intently for more than 25 years, Bunce considers himself a “cut-through specialist” and has enjoyed tackling more difficult designs each year. Though some of what he loves from cutting real pumpkins is lost in the foam ones, the art form is still as enjoyable, he said.

“I always loved that one of the unique things about it is the impermanence, that you carve and then it’s gone and you can’t really cling to your art,” Bunce said. “This changed my relationship with pumpkin carving completely.”

The Styrofoam pumpkins feel similar to real pumpkins while carving, Bunce said, but can become more delicate as intricate pieces are popped out. 

“A lot of those little pieces, to be honest, that’s the art,” he said. 

Bunce is often stopped by people walking by, admiring his glowing corner of the world, and the “Super Quad” holiday enthusiasm has incited similar efforts from others in the neighborhood. 

“It’s really cool because if you go around the neighborhood, you’ll see a whole bunch of displays that weren’t here a few years ago,” Bunce said. “When we started doing the holiday thing, it’s kind of changed the whole vibe of the neighborhood.” 

Though Bunce and his family still haven’t visited the Harry Potter studio during Halloween, their backyard suffices.

“I just wanted that magic,” Bunce said. “I come out here at least once a night just to wander under them.” 

Pumpkins, and other spooky charms, are available at witchsdenshoppe.com for purchase.