But Carrie and Barrett have always been into the spooky side of things.
“We were in the bride and groom of death costume when he proposed,” she said. “He made me a ring and proposed. We would have gotten married on Halloween, but we had friends that had already done that.”
Barrett credits the couple’s move from Phoenix to Beavercreek in amping up their interest. He said he had never experienced the changing of the seasons and it was the perfect motivation.
“It really ignited a lot in me,” he said. “The leaves turning colors. It’s something we never experienced. We had four huge soft maples and we’d make big piles of leaves. One year the wind took one down and knocked down the fence. It was kind of a mixed blessing because it really motivated us to get the trail going.”
New this year is a backyard trail that features a spider tunnel and fog machines. The couple encourages the community, young and old, to take a tour of all the frighteningly fun displays. They said that they really just want to bring the community together and it has definitely worked.
“When we first moved in, we got like seven trick-or-treaters,” Carrie said. “Last year we got like 200. We’ve never advertised, but last year I posted one picture and everybody was contacting us.”
Since then they created a Facebook, Instagram and YouTube page to share the Halloween happenings at their home. People from all over the area come to their home. Barrett shared a story about a super frightened little girl was hugging her mom’s leg when she first entered the yard, but after 10 minutes, she was running around with her hands in the hand having a blast.
“2020 was a lot scarier for people then they like to admit,” Barrett said. “This is a great outlet for that fear, not to sound dramatic. But a natural fear reaction is to laugh, so it just all fits together. It’s a spot of Halloween whimsey.”
While they love doing the work, it is work. They begin putting up decorations mid-August and it takes about a month to take everything down. Most of their decorations are run on batteries and solar power. Carrie even grew corn this year, so the dying stalks would add a little bit more to the backyard.
“Everyone kept telling me I was growing it wrong,” she said. “Everyone said I grew it too late or I should’ve grown it in a square. I said, ‘I’m not growing it to eat it. I just want it to be decorative corn.’”
They admit they are running out of space. Some items have crept into the home including a Freddy Krueger in the bedroom, and last year they left the skeletons up for longer than usual. For Christmas, the skeletons were dressed up as the Rockettes with their legs kicking up, and the 12-foot skeleton was dressed up as Santa Claus.
As for any future displays, the couple is keeping that underground because they want next year to be a surprise for everyone. But for this year, they just want to bring as much joy to the community as they possibly can. Carrie takes her two daughters trick-or-treating while Barrett hands out candy, typically full-sized candy bars.
“Halloween makes me feel childlike, all these fun spooky things. I want kids to remember how cool Halloween is. I’d really hope to get more trick-or-treaters this year. It’s just a joyful thing,” she said.
MORE DETAILS
The home is located at 1836 N. Central Drive in Beavercreek. The couple encourages anyone to stop by to enjoy the spooky sights and sounds.
Credit: Chris West
Credit: Chris West
About the Author