The Warlock House Enchantment, the sculpture-filled Wesley Chapel estate built by the late Lewis VanDercar, will host its first public Halloween festival on Oct. 3.

The Warlock Family Spookfest runs from 2 to 6 p.m. at 25950 Queen Sago Place, The Laker/Lutz News reported. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for children 10 and older and free for children under 10. Costumes are encouraged, and the event is billed as playful, not scary.

It marks the first time the VanDercar family has opened the property for a public event.

The 'Warlock of Wesley Chapel'

VanDercar moved to the area in 1973, bought eight acres and built a dome-shaped, ivy-covered home resembling a cave, according to a Miami Herald obituary republished online. He filled the grounds with concrete sculptures, unconventional architecture and gardens.

Before settling in Wesley Chapel, VanDercar drew Popeye cartoons from a Miami studio in the late 1930s. He served in the merchant marines during World War II, worked as an aircraft engineer and later made a living painting and sculpting. His works included a gorilla's lair for Monkey Jungle in South Dade and a giant dragon for a Merritt Island park.

"I'm both," VanDercar said in his December 1988 Miami Herald obituary, when people called him crazy or a genius. "I think us geniuses should be modest."

His grandson Bobby VanDercar now operates VanDercar Studio, a painting business in the Tampa area. Bobby's business website describes Lewis VanDercar's concrete sculptures as having transformed the Wesley Chapel property into an artistic landmark.

Halloween Roots and What to Expect

Halloween was part of family life at the property during the 1970s. A neighbor named Jeff Daniels recalled on the obituary page that VanDercar "would invite us neighbor kids over at Halloween to tell us stories."

At Spookfest, children will carry Warlock Apprentice Passports, collecting stamps at themed stations. Completing the passport earns a prize. The festival also features live entertainment, food vendors, games and crafts.

October Tours and Tickets

After Spookfest, the property will offer statuary tours on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout October at 7 and 10 p.m. Tickets and details are available at thewarlockhouse.com.