Homeowner Wins City Permit Battle Over His ‘Spooktacular’ Halloween Display

Every Halloween, thousands of costumed children and their families flock to Raleigh’s Historic Oakwood neighborhood in North Carolina, drawn by an elaborate "haunted" house decked out with animatronic zombies, towering monsters, and other frightening sights.Jesse Jones, a criminal defense attorney and former North Carolina State football player, spends more than a month each year preparing the display at his home at 504 Oakwood Ave., transforming it into a sprawling horror spectacle that has become one of Raleigh's largest Halloween attractions.It all takes place in Historic Oakwood, a neighborhood known for its century-old homes and close-knit community. A Victorian house on Oakwood Avenue, built in 1883, was sold for $1.1 million in November 2025, while the neighborhood’s median listing price reached $924,450 in September 2026, according to Realtor.com®.Since Jones started the tradition in 2012, it has grown into a community celebration, with neighbors joining in and decorating their own homes to welcome thousands of visitors.But this year, the event faced a last-minute hurdle when city officials required Jones to obtain a special-event permit rather than the neighborhood block-p...