Residents get in the spirit of Halloween
For some Butler County residents, Halloween is just another day of the year.
For others, it's a chance to showcase their decorating prowess.
Rachel McMichael, of Butler Township, has been adorning her yard with skeleton scenes since 2018. Inspired by the Old Mill ride at Kennywood, McMichael and her husband have acquired plastic canine, horse and human skeletal figures for their display. They expand their operation every year.
“We took this block to a new level,” McMichael said.
The McMichaels' current display depicts skeletons rowing kayaks on a lake, partying by a campfire and interacting with a figure of a horse skeleton.
McMichael said the decor theme pays homage to camping, which she didn't get to do this year. “When you think about it, we're all just skeletons doing things,” McMichael said. “If I can't do it, I figured I'll live vicariously through these guys.”While McMichael said she's the artistic vision behind her display, her husband, Ian, is the mechanical mind. The display took two and a half hours for them to assemble, and McMichael said they'll make more additions on Halloween night.“We're huge horror buffs,” McMichael said of her and her husband. “I said we need to put more up.”For McMichael, who said Halloween always was a big part of her family, the best part of her display is experiencing people's reactions.“We had a kid run into the yard to pet the skeleton dog,” McMichael said. “It was so cute.”
The McMichaels aren't the only county residents who deck their lawns with skeletons for the season.Erann Heltzell, of Butler, has multiple spooky vignettes featuring them around her yard. “I like doing skeletons because they're posable,” Heltzell said. “I can change them every year.”This year, the Heltzell family spent two full weekends setting up skeletons scaling the roof, digging graves, getting chased by dogs into trees and even proposing.Heltzell's favorite piece of her display is a 12-foot skeleton that she said is a hot commodity.“It's become a family event,” Heltzell said. “My kids grew up with this, so they see (Halloween) doesn't have to be scary. It's become fun.”
Unlike Heltzell, Jeffery Singer, of Butler, said it's his first year decorating.“We've been buying decorations for years, but we never had the yard for them,” Singer said. “We put them all out this year.”The set-up took two days to complete and features various characters from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as well as a giant spider web coming from the roof.“The spider web was a pain,” Singer said. “The most frustrating part is mowing around (everything).”
Jenny Switzer, of West Sunbury, is another long-time decorator, as a result of her son, Corey's, love for Halloween. Corey, who is 6 years old, has been leading the charge on lawn decoration since age 4.“We were just walking in the store one day and he saw something he liked and wanted to buy it,” Switzer said. “He picks where he wants everything, and we help him set up.”Most of Corey's chosen figures move or light up, according to Switzer. The display takes about a week to assemble.“He's proud of the whole thing,” Switzer said. “He's excited about it all.”Switzer said her son already is planning next year's Halloween display. In the meantime, he has expressed interest in other holiday decorations.“This year, he wants to do Christmas,” Switzer said.
Nancy Hoffman has been adorning her house with fright since the early 1990s when she moved to her home in Cranberry.“It started when my mother-in-law gave me a plastic pumpkin I put on the lamppost,” Hoffman said. “I try to change it up every year.”Hoffman's current set-up has scenes in every window of the house. Featured figures include a werewolf, Venus flytrap and praying mantis. She said she'll change the outdoor inflatables every night to keep it interesting. Hoffman said she also annually decorates every room on the first floor of her house with similar enthusiasm.“I'll let some neighborhood kids walk through the house on Halloween,” Hoffman said. “It's fun for (them).”Since her birthday occurs around the holiday, Hoffman will consider how she wants to arrange her yard year-round.“It makes me happy,” Hoffman said. “It's a fun time.”
