As Sarasota continues to recover from the havoc of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, one resident is ensuring that the ghosts and goblins of Halloween rise to the occasion.

Christina Fraser, who has called Sarasota home for more than 30 years, is transforming her home on Tree Fern Trail into a hauntingly spectacular scene—complete with witches, fog-filled bubbles and a spook-easy room. "I’ve always loved Halloween," Fraser says. "My birthday is on Oct. 29, so it made sense for my birthday to turn into a costume party. I like to go big."

Mission accomplished. Fraser, the vice president of operations for Embracing Our Differences, channels her event-planning expertise into a holiday she feels is more than just spooky—it’s a creative outlet. “I’ve been an artsy person all my life,” she says, “but with a business degree, I’ve learned how to combine both skills, whether it was as the event director for the Ringling Museum or for fun. Now, Halloween is my thing.”

For her 50th birthday last year, Fraser and her husband CJ went to New Orleans for the Anne Rice Vampire Ball—decked out in sharp canine teeth and capes, obviously.

It makes sense that Fraser, who has chaired events like Planned Parenthood's Safe Sex Halloween Bash, has a love for an immersive, theme-driven Halloween. 

"I’m not really into the bloody monsters and severed limbs," she says. "I like to create something that feels alive, where there’s a theme to hold it all together." Over the years, she's done everything from a haunted prom night, complete with lockers and a midnight crowning of the prom queen, to a Hollywood "dead carpet" featuring broken signs. One year was dedicated to skeleton pirates and treasures. Another year, Fraser dressed up as “Mother Noose” a grisly take on Mother Goose that included a dead goose around her neck. 

This year’s theme? Witchy. Her costume comes complete with lavender contacts, a flowing black-flowered cream gown and a headpiece that will likely stop even the most intrepid trick-or-treaters in their tracks.

“I’m keeping my costume a little calmer this time," she says, "because I need to be able to move around.” 

Her husband, CJ, is right there with her, acting as her trusty co-conspirator and engineering mastermind. "I throw out the crazy ideas," she says, "and he figures out how to make them work. We’re a team." Together, they’ve built everything from a 36-inch cauldron to a fog machine that creates bubbles with mist inside. This year, a ghoulish, removable kitchen backsplash Fraser crafted out of spray foam, poster board and glow-in-the-dark paint covers up the original blue chevron tile that just looked "too happy" for the occasion and didn't fit. The Frasers are also hosting a secret "spook-easy" room with a witchy magician performing for guests and a bar that Fraser is decking out like a witch’s den. "There’s potion cocktails and lighting effects on the ceiling—everything is designed to pull you in," she explains.

Their Sylvan Lee neighborhood near the Celery Fields, with its towering oak trees, provides the perfect eerie backdrop for Fraser’s creations. After losing three oaks during Hurricane Ian, she even staged skeletons "playing in the mess" as a nod to the chaos the storm left behind. “It’s what I could do at the time," she says. "But we’re back at it this year, bigger than ever.”

Fraser’s love for Halloween goes beyond the décor. "For me, it's about sharing the experience with friends, taking hosting to another level," she says. Even her candy bags are creative and often tailored by age group, ensuring that everyone from toddlers to teenagers leaves with a memorable treat.

This year, she's also incorporating a charitable twist, encouraging her guests to donate to Embracing Our Differences in lieu of gifts for her birthday. And, she says, planning the festivities has helped her navigate the ill effects of the back-to-back hurricanes that tore through the area. They added new challenges, but her creativity helped her navigate everything. 

Does her enthusiasm extends to other holidays? Fraser admits that Christmas gets its fair share of attention but can’t quite match the flair of Halloween. “I have more Halloween bins than Christmas ones," she says. "Christmas stays kind of standard, but Halloween evolves every year."

With giant props, foggy cauldrons and projections in place, Fraser is proving that even after a stormy season, there’s still plenty of time for some wicked good fun. "Halloween gives you the chance to be creative, to make people smile," she says. And that, she says, is the real treat.

Looking to ogle more local festive houses in Sarasota? The free Frightmaps app can locate other Halloween-centric homes in the area—or you can list your own. For our big list of Halloween events, click here.