An Arrrrtistic Dad Built a 50-Foot Pirate Ship for His Daughter

Finding ways to make Halloween special this year was no easy feat. Kids spend months looking forward to the sugar-fueled holiday, planning costumes and trick-or-treat routes to get the most impressive and brag-worthy candy haul. This year, trick-or-treating was iffy and Halloween traditions were interrupted – but that didnât stop parents from creating new traditions to make the day stand out. Some parents channeled their creativity into making impressive costumes or fun Halloween activities, others were busy building things for their community.
But one New York dad poured his effort into making his daughterâs Caribbean dream come true.
Caribbean, as in âPirates of theâ – and it all started a few years ago with a simple request. Tony DeMatteoâs daughter loved the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and a few years ago, she requested a Pirates-themed Halloween. Last year, DeMatteo came through with an enormously impressive display, but he was far from finished fulfilling his daughterâs request.
âIâm a big fan of Halloween,â DeMatteo told FOX. “Itâs been growing bigger and bigger each year. I always try to out-do myself.”
DeMatteo is far from alone in creating his over-the-top Halloween display. Part of the fun is getting his kids involved as well, making both the process and the end result a cherished family memory.
âThey help me build it. They play on it, and they like the attention they get too,â DeMatteo said. âI really donât have a background in this. I just do it for fun.â
DeMatteo has no background in carpentry or pirate affairs (that we know of), yet this yearâs Halloween display looked like it was straight out of Disneyland. The 50-foot pirate ship was equipped with lights, fog machines, fake cannons, and it was sturdy enough to be the coolest temporary playground his kids will likely ever have the privilege of using (that is, until next Halloween).
âIt might look expensive, but it really was inexpensive,â DeMatteo explained, citing that he received all of the wood for free over the year and many of the items he accumulated over time. âIt takes a lot of time, but itâs not so much work, when youâre having fun.â
For those who attended the light and music-filled show, DeMatteo only asked that people bring donations for a local food pantry. The enormous turnout combined with the fact that people were likely itching for something to shake up the monotony of the past few months meant that DeMatteoâs garage was filled to the brim with canned goods to donate.
This crafty family is already thinking about next yearâs Halloween display. If DeMatteo is truly set on outdoing himself once again, we fully expect this crafty dad to somehow Halloween-ize his entire neighborhood. Honestly, we canât wait.