APPLETON (NBC 26) — They took trick-or-treating to an entirely new level, and did it as a family.
- Jim "Gentleman Jim" Rodda and his family transformed the historic Judge Thomas H. Ryan House into a shipwrecked pirate scene for Halloween night, with costumes, characters, and immersive decorations.
- The event featured a singing sea shanty group, a treasure hunt, a functional cannon firing T-shirts, and full-sized candy bars, making it a highlight in the Appleton historic district.
- Already looking forward to next year, the Rodda family plans to start building new props and decorations as early as November 2nd.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Jim "Gentleman Jim" Rodda, leader of the Painted Lady crew, says, “The Painted Lady was the most fearsome ship to sail the waters of Lake Winnebago.”
Halloween found a home in the historic district of Appleton this year—and I mean that literally. Normally, this is the Judge Thomas H. Ryan House, but on Halloween night, it became the ill-fated remains of the shipwreck "Painted Lady," straight from the minds of Jim Rodda and his family.
“We are pirates. And we are doomed to stay here above the wreck of the Painted Lady for eternity,” Rodda, playing Gentleman Jim, shared in character.
For the night, Jim took on the persona of Gentleman Jim, leader of the Painted Lady crew. His wife transformed into a “board-certified medium,” telling people about their futures and gazing into a crystal ball. Their kids? Another pirate and a parrot.
“It is our goal to convert every child in Appleton to the ways of piracy,” Rodda joked.
Beyond their costumes and characters, they could be argued to have the hottest house on the block. With full-sized candy bars, a singing sea shanty group, a “treasure hunt” at City Park, and even a functional cannon firing T-shirts at kids in pirate costumes, the Halloween spirit was fully alive.
And while the Halloween fun only comes once a year, Jim and his family say they’re already looking towards next Halloween.
“We start planning for next year as soon as the decorations go away. So, I would say November 1st, we take off. November 2nd? We start building new things,” Rodda shared.
