As a mother to two young children, Chelsey Vreeken already knew the animated Netflix movie “KPop Demon Hunters” is mega popular.
Still, Vreeken did not expect her “KPop Demon Hunters”-decorated home in South Jordan, Utah, to attract viral attention — and thousands of visitors — this month.
With hundreds flocking to her home every day to get a look at the “KPop” decorations, Vreeken saw an opportunity to leverage the explosive attention by starting a food drive outside her house, and invite visitors to offer support to people suffering from food insecurity.
Vreeken simply put a box on the edge of her lawn where visitors can place donations — all of which she plans to donate to the Utah Food Bank.
“We have hundreds of people going by our house every night. Even if 10% of them brought a can of food or a nonperishable item, that would make such a difference,” Vreeken said.
While the government continues to be in shutdown, Vreeken feels concern for people in her community who depend on food aid, particularly SNAP benefits, to feed their families.
“My heart breaks for these people,” Vreeken said. “I can’t imagine the stress, especially going into holiday season of what that feels like. ... As human beings, hunger should never be something that we should have to worry about.”
Vreeken hopes her efforts will ease some of the food stress within her community, while also setting a positive example for her own two kids, Oliver and Arlo.
“It’s important to teach children at a young age about service and giving back and helping our neighbors and our community and the people that need our help,” she said.
Creating the ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ house
For the Vreeken family, decorating their home after “KPop Demon Hunters” took a combined effort.
In the Vreekens’ South Jordan neighborhood, everyone “goes all out” with their outdoor Halloween decorations, she said. Most homes opt for a spooky theme, but the Vreekens have always leaned into “the fun side of Halloween,” she said.
During past years, they have decorated their home with a “Monster Mash” theme and after the animated Pixar movie “Inside Out.”
This year, Vreeken’s 4-year-old daughter, Arlo, suggested they decorate their home like “KPop Demon Hunters” — which is the most popular Netflix movie of all time.
Vreeken liked the idea, particularly because she “loves the message of the movie.” She wants kids to be comfortable “talking about how they feel and their emotions,” and believes “KPop Demon Hunters” shows audiences how to “accept parts of yourself that you are ashamed of.”
“Kids can pick up on those subtle messages,” she added. “It’s something that kids can connect to.”
Together, Vreeken, her husband James, and their children created a detailed “KPop” display. They mapped out their plans as a family and each added their own features, such as a Saja Boys section suggested by 6-year-old Oliver.
The house features large cutouts of favorite characters, purple lights on the roof, projector images, window displays and a personal FM broadcast setup, so visitors can tune into a station with “KPop Demon Hunters” songs from their car.
The entire process, which Vreeken described as a “labor of love,” took about a week to complete.
“It can be a little bit of work, but it makes it worth it when you see the smile on people’s faces,” she said.
Community togetherness
For Vreeken, the best part of her “KPop” home’s viral attention has been seeing her community come together to enjoy the decorations.
Connecting with people in her community has been a “big motivator” for decorating their home every Halloween and welcoming visitors.
“This is bringing people together,” she said. “Even at a young age, I want my kids to learn how to include people and be gatherers and how to reach our to people. We all need that.”
Vreeken continued, “I love connecting with people. ... I love being able to find that connection point with somebody.”
She hopes her home’s decorations will “bring joy” to her community.
“I think sometimes we forget how simple joy can be,” Vreeken said. “I’ve seen people come (to my house) and dance to their favorite song, or enjoy a little cutout and take a picture — its nothing huge, but sometimes we overcomplicate joy."
“It’s a simple thing, but it has made such a fun addition and experience to the holiday season.”
