LIVERMORE — Merry and Jeff St. Pierre have been decorating their home at 97 River Road for about 10 years. Each year, the display gets bigger and now it is also a fundraiser for Spruce Mountain High School’s Class of 2017.

“I have a huge love of Halloween,” Merry said.

Three years ago, her daughters needed to raise money for the SMHS field hockey team. Merry suggested hosting a Halloween-themed event at her home. In two nights, they raised about $2,000 with the first Halloween Haunted Trail of Livermore.

Merry’s daughters have since graduated, but last year, the junior class took it on.

“They will probably do it again next year as seniors,” Merry said.

Planning the layout begins in June. This year, there are 21 scenes.

“The kids help set up and do most of the haunting,” Merry said.

She has 75 costumes, 70 masks and thousands of dollars worth of decorations. Items are purchased throughout the year.

The St. Pierre yard is filled with about 100 tombstones, tons of lights and many tiki torches. The displays require 50 extension cords and several strobe lights.

“We go through gallons of oil for the torches,” Merry said. 

It takes about four weeks to set everything up. On performance nights, about 1½ hours are needed to turn everything on. It only takes one day to take everything down once Halloween has passed.

The Haunted Trail of Livermore is open 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights from mid-October through Halloween. Merry said it takes about 20 minutes to complete the trail. Younger children may come during the first hour for a toned-down version.

“We’re cognitive of scares, but it really is for an older audience,” Merry said.

Friday night as last-minute makeup was applied and costumes donned, Merry called out the signal she would use to let the haunters know to go easy on the scares. A different sound gives the all-clear to be as scary as possible.

The Class of 2017 has about 100 students and 30 to 40 of them are involved with the Haunted Trail of Livermore.

“It’s a great team-builder,” Merry said. “It gives kids who aren’t normally active a chance to get involved.”

Parents also take part.

One parent built a large clown mouth for a new scene. A student created a beef quarter for the butcher shop scene, from a pillow and a bone. The “Gates of Hell,” another new scene this year, was created from scratch. Human figures were created using papier mache and plastic. 

Sponsors for the Haunted Trail of Livermore include Otis Federal Credit Union, Franklin Savings Bank, Ware-Butler, soup for you! cafe, Pine Tree Orthopedic Lab, Franklin Printing, Bessey Designs, Frazier Construction and Don’s Stove Shop.

Tickets are $7.50 per person in advance or $10 at the door. T-shirts and concessions are available for purchase.

“We’re happy to offer this worthwhile, exciting event and we can’t wait for you to come and join us,” Merry said. Unimaginable scares await you, she said.

For more information, call Merry at 207-446-9933, visit the Haunted Trail’s website at www.hauntedtrailoflivermore.com or visit its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/halloweenhauntedtrailoflivermore.

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