Shiver Me Timbers! Halloween On Ambush is back again for another spooky season. The large pirate-themed display and light show will run October 20 through 22 and October 27 through 31 at 15 Ambush Lane, Churchville. Similar to a holiday light show, Halloween On Ambush is a 30-minute looping soundtrack with coordinated lights and special effects. On October 28 and 29, Captain Jack and Hector will be on-site along with Kona Ice & Macarollin’ Food Trucks.
While the show is something you’d expect out of Hollywood, the giant pirate ship was envisioned and created by Chili resident, Tony DeMatteo.
You could say DeMatteo has a knack for building things. As a kid, he used to help his aunt with her Halloween display, the biggest in Irondequoit at the time. Fast-forward some years, kids, houses and more, and DeMatteo wanted to get back into Halloween decorations. The first few seasons started with creatively creepy cemetery scenes. Over the past five years, DeMatteo’s displays have grown in size and production value.
“I would have more stuff in the front yard than anyone else – than anyone should ever have,” joked DeMatteo. Then one season, DeMatteo decided to create a large Super Mario Bros. display instead, which caught a lot of local attention.
“It was so fun and different from the standard Halloween decorations,” said DeMatteo. “I started to realize… you find a whole different clientele if it’s not really creepy. If it’s more of a fun theme, you have a lot more kids involved, and the older generation is interested in it too.”
The following year, his daughter suggested a Pirates of the Caribbean theme. “And I knew it needed to be massive,” he said.
DeMatteo started scouring Craigslist and Facebook marketplace to find supplies for the display. To create the ship, he connected with Jordan Gelser, a barn wood enthusiast based out of Lima, NY, who donated a bunch of old barn wood, some dating as far back as 1893. The display quickly took off as DeMatteo began hand-making props in his garage in his spare time.
It was 2020 and DeMatteo had built a 50-foot pirate ship, complete with fire and fog machines and backing soundtrack.
“I built that display and thought ‘it’s the pandemic, if nobody comes, nobody comes,’” said DeMatteo.
But people came. Thousands of people, in fact.
“I think people had nothing else to do so they all came to our house. We had some serious traffic issues that year because we didn’t think anyone was coming.”
The display was not only a hit locally. Photos and videos went viral across the country and even as far as the UK.
Following the Halloween season, DeMatteo took the entire display apart, piece by piece, and stored it in his basement, shed, garage and attic. After a few months off to relax and rejuvenate, DeMatteo was back at it for the 2021 season. He spent the next eight to 10 months putting together a soundtrack, programming lights and special effects, and creating more props from scratch. In addition, DeMatteo received old crates, chests, and costumes that people donated to fill the scene.
The display itself gets constructed within a few days; then comes testing of the electrical pieces. For him, August to October is full of early mornings, late nights, full weekends, and a severe lack of sleep.
“I don’t have a background in any of this and I don’t see myself as creative. I just find cheap, easy ways to do things,” explained DeMatteo, who also works full-time as the co-owner and vibration analyst of 4X Diagnostics. “I make it like a set. It has to go up quickly, look good, and it has to work. I see it in my head and just go with it.”
The 2021 display, which depicted two ships this time, drew between 4,000 and 5,000 visitors to Ambush Lane – some who drove four hours just to see it. This time around, DeMatteo was more prepared, partnering with the town and sheriff’s department to assist with traffic control.
Once again, the display caught some attention. Most recently, Halloween On Ambush was featured in the newest edition of “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!”
“It’s a total honor. I’m still blown away,” said DeMatteo, about his two-page inclusion in the book. “There are a lot of people out there that are talented and can do some amazing things. To be in there, one of those people, it takes your breath away.”
The displays have drawn more than media attention – they’ve helped to support local organizations. In 2020, Halloween On Ambush donated 3,000 pounds of food to Open Door Mission. In 2021, they donated $6,000 to the Golisano Children’s Hospital pediatric ICU plus $1,000 and 1,800 pounds of food to Open Door Mission.
“There are a lot of people, especially during the pandemic, who have been going through some rough times. Everybody needs to give back in some way – whether donating their time, money, or services. This is one way I give back,” said DeMatteo. “As we’ve gained traction, it was important to also raise awareness of organizations like these. The money, the effort, the sore backs, the headaches… it’s all worth it because we can break some records for giving back.”
This year’s benefactor is Dream Factory of Rochester, an all-volunteer organization that fulfills dreams for children in the Rochester community who have been diagnosed with chronic or critical illnesses. While the national organization has been around since 1980, the local chapter fulfilled its first dream in May of 1999 and just fulfilled its 300th dream.
“What makes Dream Factory of Rochester different than other organizations is money, manpower and medical,” said Laura Walitsky, Dream Factory of Rochester Area Director. Ninety percent of money raised stays within the Rochester chapter to fulfill the dreams of local kids, ages three through 18.
“By partnering with Halloween On Ambush, we have the potential for thousands more people to know about Dream Factory,” said Walitsky. “The more people who know about us, the more who will want to volunteer, to donate, and the more dreams we can fulfill.”
Dreams range from new computers and swimming pools to trips of a lifetime, with Disney World being one of the most popular dream requests. The average cost of a dream is $6,000, which covers all of the travel costs, meals, expenses, and more.
“For me, it was a sigh of relief,” said Walitsky, when she learned about Dream Factory being this year’s benefactor. “We have 11 dreams that we are currently working on. Because of the pandemic, we had to cancel many of our fundraisers. The number of dream requests we’re getting is picking up, but not all of our fundraisers were put back in place.”
“Every dollar counts,” said Walitsky. “No matter the amount, we will put that to use. It will go to the kids.”
Donations to Dream Factory of Rochester may be made through the Halloween On Ambush website: https://www.halloweenonambush.com. Important event information – including the schedule, parking instructions, and any weather updates, is available on the “visit” tab.
Halloween On Ambush is made possible by support from DeMatteo’s neighbors, the town, the sheriff’s department and the following sponsors: Illuminating Expressions, Camarata Chiropractic, 4X Diagnostics, Cornerstone Dental, Tim’s Tree Service, Jordan Gelser – Barnwood Supplier, M&T Insurance Agency – Anthony Lutrario, Lightspec, Lumonta Salon, Kona Ice, Cook Properties, My Hometown Magazine Online, The Home Depot – Gates Store 1278, The Mobile Paint Guy, Empire Realty Group – Michael DeCarlov, EL Jon, Moments of Magic Travel, Day Trips Around Rochester, B&L Wholesale Supply, Lakeside Tool, and Wegmans.
