Although most associate Halloween with ghoulish decorations and dark components, it’s clear that the Rogers family brings a little light to the holiday.
Most families scramble the weekend before Halloween to gather costumes, but leave it to the Rogers to deck out impressive theme-based family costumes each year. Along with his wife and three kids, math teacher Kyle Rogers constantly leaves many awed by their quirky yet heartfelt Halloween projects.
What started out as a small family tradition over a decade ago eventually transformed into an annual “Rogers’ Reveal” for friends, both offline and online. Initially, the elaborate outfits arose from constructions for group costume-coordinated parties, but after multiple years of dressing up together, the Rogers family had a new creative challenge to look forward to each autumn. But their captivating ideas didn’t just amaze their friends. In 2015, their photos gained over 9,000 likes online, and their recognition continued to multiply when several professional news sources featured them.
“[Our photos] just went crazy. Everyone was just like ‘I saw you on Twitter,’” Rogers said. “ABC news contacted my wife from Arizona, so she was on an Arizona news show live. But it all started with Twitter.”
Photos Courtesy of Kyle Rogers
With the efforts of Rogers’ wife, the family’s costumes constantly balance an accurate portrayal of a chosen theme and an artistic appeal. The individual pieces result from hours of handmade work and multiple trips to various shops. Their archive of costumes includes a stunning collection of characters, foods and items. Previously, the family impressed the Halloween crowd with elaborate suits, colorful wigs and bright makeup inspired by popular 80s movies, vintage circuses, characters from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, old-fashioned fast food diners, golden athletic trophies and mighty superheroes. This year, Rogers hints at a party-related theme.
“My wife is a party planner,” Rogers said. “The five of us are gonna be one aspect of throwing a party. My son is going to be a birthday present. The rest, you guys will have to see.”
Although the costumes can take as long as two hours to put on, the annual fascinating dress-up day is just one of the many family-oriented traditions the Rogers continue to keep.
“You can have good costumes without having to get all crazy and scary, even though that’s what makes it fun for some people,” Rogers said. “But I just think its fun to dress as family, to get some friends together. My [oldest daughter] is getting a little old now, but she still wants to [participate]. It’s harder to put the costumes together, but I think it’s more fun for everybody.”