Peyton Maxstead’s annual holiday displays foster joy and community spirit

Peyton Maxstead

Venture down to Sulton Court on an October evening, and you will be met with a striking scene. With more than 100 cars visiting the street each night, families crowd around one house decorated in lights, rolling fog, skeletons, animatronics and a massive pirate ship. With the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack playing out over the excited voices of the crowd, a suburban street transforms into an experience rivaling Disneyland.

This immersive wonderland is the work of 19-year-old Peyton Maxstead. Over the past six years, the recent Grove City High School graduate and public service laborer for the Grove City Public Service Department has grown his Halloween yard display from six skeletons in a mulch patch to a beloved community event with professional-style props and custom-built set pieces.

Peyton Maxstead

Learn as you go

Ashley Granger

Born and raised in Grove City, Maxstead has been dedicated to creating joy in his community from a young age, taking on his first festive project at just 10 years old when he organized a neighborhood Easter egg hunt. He then decided to take his holiday decorating skills to the next level when his mom and step-dad built the house on Sulton Court in 2020.

“After building the house, my stepdad gave me permission. He said, ‘You can decorate the house and do everything you love, but it has to have a theme,”’ says Maxstead.

Wanting something not too scary that people of all ages could enjoy, he decided pirates would be the perfect theme. With the help of YouTube videos, Facebook groups and the advice of other local haunters, he has learned how to implement storytelling and catch the audience’s eye. While balancing schoolwork and playing sousaphone in the marching band, Maxstead was always searching for new ways to improve his displays.

In 2023, with the help of his grandfather, Maxstead built a 30-foot-long pirate ship. The massive set piece makes this front yard haunt especially unique.

Over the years, Maxstead has found other ways to amp up the show, incorporating lights, a sound system, animatronics and gallons of fog into a Halloween experience that has drawn the attention of thousands.

“I love seeing people’s reactions. I love seeing everyone have a good time, especially the kids laughing and smiling,” says Maxstead.

Peyton Maxstead

A community effort

Peyton Maxstead

Maxstead with SRO Joseph Hughes

While Maxstead may be the mastermind behind Pirates on Sulton, he is quick to recognize the Grove City community for all its support.

“It takes a lot of money put into it, and the community rallies behind it. Everyone supports it. It’s become a landmark of Grove City now,” says Maxstead.

Local sponsors, such as Fear Columbus and Hart Real Estate Agency, have helped fund the more elaborate parts of his displays. Maxstead also credits Fear Columbus owners Nick and Jess Francis with being some of his biggest supporters and mentors.

The display’s setup process takes two days, a herculean effort that requires the help of six to eight neighbors just to be able to raise the ship’s mast, made from an old telephone pole.

Maxstead’s neighbors are instrumental in the Sulton Court traditions. After a skeleton was stolen from last year’s Pirates on Sulton display, neighbors started a GoFundMe, and the community raised $1,500 to help replace it.

The neighborhood also works together for Lights on Sulton – the neighborhood Christmas light display that now boasts approximately half a million lights. In 2023, Maxstead got permission to extend the holiday lights tradition to Grove City High School – a tradition he continues even after graduation.

Beyond the displays, Maxstead also finds ways to give back to the community. In 2025, Maxstead worked with the Grove City Police Department to kick off the Lights on Sulton display with a toy drive supporting the Department’s annual Cram the Cruiser event. More than 600 toys were donated at the event, and this coming December, he plans to organize a new community toy drive with the Grove City Service Department called Pack the Plow to increase his impact on the community.

“I’ve always loved Grove City,” says Maxstead. “I knew from a young age that I wanted to do something to help and bring joy to the community.”

Peyton Maxstead

Dedication to service

Peyton Maxstead

Maxstead with Mayor Ike

With his efforts expanding beyond Sulton Court, the City has also been an important supporter of Maxstead.

“(The people at City Hall) allow me to do so much,” says Maxstead. “Mayor Ike is a big supporter of it. He loves the pirates.”

His background of working with his hands and heavy equipment on his grandpa’s farm has helped his trajectory, and Maxstead is looking forward to continuing to help his community through his work with the Grove City Public Service Department.

“I can’t picture working anywhere else,” says Maxstead.

With a never-ending love for his hometown and a dedication to helping people, his future ambitions in public service are no secret.

“Everyone says, ‘Peyton’s going to be the next mayor of Grove City,”’ says Maxstead.

Maxstead is gearing up for his biggest Halloween display yet this year, featuring both grand opening and closing displays and all sorts of other tricks up his sleeve. Through his determination and imagination, Grove City has become a place that celebrates Halloween like no other.