Warlock House Enchantment to Open for First-Ever Family Spookfest Oct. 3

The gates of one of Wesley Chapel's strangest and most beloved backyards are opening to the public for the first time in decades. The Warlock House Enchantment, the sprawling property that artist Lewis VanDercar spent most of his life turning into a maze of sculpture, statuary and offbeat architecture, will host its first-ever Warlock Family Spookfest on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 2 to 6 p.m. at 25950 Queen Sago Place.

VanDercar became known around the area as the "Warlock of Wesley Chapel" for the strange, wonderful world he built on his own land: gardens, carved figures, unconventional buildings and pieces of art tucked into corners of the property. In the 1970s, Halloween there was a family affair, with costumes, tricks and treats and the kind of playful surprises that stuck in the memories of anyone who got to see it. That tradition has stayed private for years. This fall, the family is opening it back up.

Spookfest is built for kids, and organizers are clear that it is meant to charm rather than scare. Families walking the grounds will find magical villages, costumed characters, games, crafts, food, live entertainment and vendors scattered across the property. Kids carry a "Warlock Apprentice Passport" and collect stamps at themed stops covering pirates, mermaids, herbology, bubbles, carnival games, broom decorating and storytelling. Finish the route and there is a prize waiting.

Beyond Spookfest, the family is also running statuary tours of the historic property on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout October, with time slots at 7 and 10 p.m. Those tours give visitors a closer look at the artwork and local history behind the site, separate from the daytime Spookfest crowd.

For a lot of longtime Pasco County residents, the Warlock House is a name they've heard for years without ever getting a look inside the gates. This is the first time VanDercar's family has reopened that Halloween tradition to the public since it began in the 1970s, and it gives local parents a genuinely new, affordable option for fall plans that didn't exist last year.

More details and updates are available at thewarlockhouse.com.

Got questions about parking, costumes, or what to expect once you're through the gates? Head over to our Community Forum and swap notes with other Wesley Chapel families planning to go. For more of what's happening around town this fall, check out our events coverage and community stories. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and X, or visit Wesley Chapel Community Website for the latest local news.