As children pick out their perfect Halloween costumes, some Lincoln residents have been prepping their skeletons, witches, scarecrows and pumpkins for neighbors to feast their eyes upon.
For the very first year, Phillip’s Lincoln Lights is hosting a Halloween display contest along with Capital Dental. From haunted displays to whimsical decorations, the community has been working hard this fall to showcase creativity.
Phillip Wagoner, the creator of Phillip’s Lincoln Lights, said that after a successful Christmas competition last year, he had the idea for a Halloween contest, and the dentistry practice was gracious enough to host it.
“I just want people to have fun and have it drive the group and the community a little more,” Wagoner said.
Wade McGinnis powers on the animated pumpkin scarecrow at his home of at 5043 Leighton Ave. in Lincoln.
The competition runs through Halloween and features four categories: Best Overall, Best Special Effects, Scariest Theme and Best Theme, with three prizes awarded in each category. The public can participate by voting for their favorite houses.
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Each participating house must be located within Lincoln or within five miles of the city limit and will have a QR code for the public to scan and vote. A map of participating houses can be found at PhillipsLincolnLights.com.
Not every house on the map will be entered into the contest. Wagoner said each home can participate in one category, with a total of 10 displays selected for the competition in each category. The deadline to submit a lawn display for the competition is Oct. 16 at 8 p.m.
Nola Broderick, 7, (from left) and her twin Rose Broderick ride their bikes past the Halloween decorations at the home of Wade and Debbie McGinnis at 5043 Leighton Ave. on Oct. 1.
“It takes a lot of effort and money and time to do all these, so I want to celebrate all big and small displays,” Wagoner said.
The map idea originated from a family tradition of driving around with hot chocolate and Christmas music to find the best holiday lights. Growing up, Wagoner said his family didn’t have much money to decorate for Christmas, so instead, they searched for other houses.
“I just wanted a quicker way to do it. Lincoln’s a big town sometimes, so it’s good to know where everything’s at,” he said.
About 10 years ago, Wagoner created his first map to make Christmas light viewing easier for his family. In the following years, he began sharing the map with others and online. In 2020, Wagoner created the first Halloween display map after having multiple requests from local residents.
“Halloween, I feel like, is almost just as popular in Lincoln,” Wagoner said.
Wagoner said he hopes the map will help community members see displays that they might not have seen otherwise.
On average, there are more than 100 houses on the map for Christmas and around 80 to 90 houses for Halloween, with numbers increasing each year.
Debbie McGinnis and Wade McGinnis pose for a portrait next to their Halloween decorations at their home at 5043 Leighton Ave. on Oct. 1.
Wade and Debbie McGinnis, have embraced decorating their house for Halloween for many years. With the extra incentive this year, Wade said they expanded many of their decorations for the competition.
The couple at 5043 Leighton Ave. began decorating in mid-September, blending Wade’s haunting decorations with Debbie’s more cheerful ones.
“Can’t scare the kids too much, we want them to come back,” Debbie said.
Wade and Debbie McGinnis go all out to decorate their home at 5043 Leighton Ave. for Halloween.
Debbie said she’s always loved Halloween, especially as a kid when they went door-to-door with pillowcases to fill with candy.
“Nowadays, you don’t see as many lights on as you used to. They do more trunk-or-treating, which is kind of sad,” she said. “I love seeing the kids come up to the porch and seeing the reactions, and I always make sure I have a lot of different candies.”
As their decorating skills have increased, the two have loved seeing the reactions from neighbors. Wade said they have people pass by all the time who comment that they are glad to see the decorations and thank the couple for their hard work.
Rawla Walker and Manuel Walker pose for a portrait next to their Halloween decorations at their home at 642 W. A St. on Oct. 1
It’s been a wild roller coaster for Manuel Walker at 642 West A St., who began decorating in July with his family. After setting up their four 12-foot skeletons, Walker said they had to quickly remove them as a huge storm rolled through.
By the second week in August, they began the process again while awaiting heavy winds before placing their levitating 12-foot Grim Reaper and ghoul animatronics. Walker said they’ve been setting up their large skeletons for three years now because they are very versatile for new display themes each year.
His wife, Rawla Walker, said she loves seeing the excitement, especially from the kids, as they walk by the display.
“That’s why we do it,” Walker said. “On this side of town, there’s literally nothing.”
Several skeletons decorate the front yard of Manuel and Rawla Walker at 642 W. A St.
The Walkers didn’t used to see many trick-or-treaters because their street is not easily accessible without parking blocks away. Since they’ve set up their large displays, however they’ve seen more 100 trick-or-treaters annually compared to about 30 or so in years prior.
Brad Johnson, at 7400 S. 32nd St., has been decorating for Halloween for nearly 16 years, evolving from simple decorations to elaborate themes each year. This season, his family has chosen a fantasy theme, complete with lights and a fog machine.
Christmas is another big decoration season for Johnson, who has a warehouse to store all of the figurines, animatronics and props. Nearly all of them get reused each year and he purchases many at a discount following the holiday season.
With six kids plus spouses and significant others helping out, Johnson said it only takes a few weekends to get everything set up. Plus, neighborhood kids have started lending a hand in the set-up process.
“It’s a nice bond, everybody gets along at that point and does it,” he said. “It’s great to get to do family projects together.”
Since joining the map for Phillip’s Lincoln Lights, his wife, Miranda Johnson said it has been super helpful for families, especially those with little kids.
“You don’t want to drive around forever and find something, you kind of just want to know where to go,” she said.
PhotoFiles: Celebrating Lincoln’s spooky history
Nasty Nellie the witch delights Jess Dance, 2, at the Children’s Zoo’s Halloween Hullabaloo in 1981.
It’s baaaaaack. What’s your Halloween flavor? Dark and sinister? Delightfully spooky? Downright cute? Whatever your taste, this beloved holiday has something for everyone, every year. Let’s look back on some of the ways Lincoln has celebrated All Hallow’s Eve throughout the years.
A lone ghoul hangs around at dusk, waiting for trick-or-treaters to arrive, in 1990.
One hundred million volts might just do the trick in this lawn decoration from 1989.
An axe to the chest also gets the job done. Also 1989.
This highly conspicuous automobile was the grand prize at the P.O. Pears Halloween costume contest in 1988.
What Halloween is complete without a festive orange garbage bag stuffed with old newspapers? Not one I want to be a part of, that’s for sure. Pictured in 1990.
Things are getting cuter now. Some rejoice; others beware. Brothers scope out their freshly carved jack-o’-lantern in 1972.
Little Deanna Kinnison gets a treat (or is it a trick? it sure isn’t candy) at an indoor trick-or-treat event in 1993.
Corey Thomas, 5, (left) and Maggie Keogh, 6, try to get in a hand with these poker-playing props in 1996.
Moon-eyed cats have long been associated with Halloween. Blackbeard eyes the sky in 1971.
Courtney Stahl, 2, paints faces on pumpkins at a family member’s house in 1990.
Pumpkin lanterns line the way to a friendly, candy-giving home in 1993.
Remember when costumes were homemade? 1975 does.
The kid in the ghost costume is pretty spooky, but not quite as frightening as whatever is behind him in 1977.
A pair of witches stir their bubbling brew in 1971.
Doug Miller, 5, makes a convincing spider, don’t you think? Pictured in 1968.
Chris Wolfe (Dracula) and his two brides, Kim McAuliff (left) and Tracey Scherer, endeavored to frighten attendees young and old of a haunted house in 1987.
Yes, there’s a kid under there somewhere. Darrell McCave, 11, is, well, I don’t know really, in 1972.
Ann, 8, (left) Amy, 10, and Joe Tidball, 3, together make a happy meal in 1980.
Amy Davis, 7, gets a fright from Brother Jacobson and the Wolfman in 1980.
Ever since there have been Power Rangers (1993), there have been Power Rangers everywhere on Halloween. This little youngster reveals his true identity (although we didn’t bother to write it down) in 1994.
Mask vendors show off their wares and proper operating procedures in 1984.
OK, this one is actually pretty frightening. That’s a photograph, not an illustration, taken in 1976.
The more mobile you are, the more houses you can hit up for candy. However, the 17-month-old cargo (sister Zoe) may have held back this Power Ranger (Zephen Miller, 7) in 1994.
Haunted houses are a longstanding Halloween tradition. This massive line of kids of all ages formed outside the Community Playhouse Guild’s haunted house in 1969 (the red box is an old darkroom element stuck to the physical photo — your screen is fine).
Dr. Frankenstein warns attendees about his monster at the Jaycees’ Nightmare on O Street in 1990.
Haunted-mansion organizer Rory Mueller gives instructions to one of his many monsters in 1974.
Childhood me would definitely have freaked out at the sight of these laboratory rejects in a haunted house in 1974.
Our trick-or-treat through the past has come to an end. Hopefully you found this edition to be mostly treats. Halloween will be over soon, but like the human remains in this 1989 lawn display, it will rise again soon enough. Happy Halloween, and be safe.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7241 or ajohnson2@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ajohnson6170
‘ Este Articulo puede contener información publicada por terceros, algunos detalles de este articulo fueron extraídos de la siguiente fuente: journalstar.com ’
