Halloween Spirit Comes Alive on South Jackson

By Melanie Chance

Suppose you heard screams and laughter echoing from South Jackson Street last week. In that case, you weren’t imagining things — the Lumley family and friends transformed their yard into a full-scale Halloween haunt, complete with animatronics, jump scares, and a cauldron for community donations.

The display, which ran October 29 through Halloween night, featured more than 40 new animatronics, eerie lighting, and a few surprise live “actors” disguised as props. “We used a few live people dressed as animatronics to jump-scare people,” said Darin Lumley Sr. “That was a blast seeing the reactions.”

The spooky setup was a full family and friends affair. Jason and Miranda Lumley, Charity Lumley, Terri Jadlot, Noah Williams, Hannah Johnson, and her friend (whose name wasn’t caught in the chaos of screams), Dustin Johnson, and Jason and Miranda’s children, Kenzie and Mason, all helped bring the scene to life.

Darin explained that the event had grown too large for Jason’s yard, so it had moved this year. “My brother Jason purchased all the animatronics over time. He has around five or six thousand dollars invested,” Darin said with a laugh. “We spent three days setting it all up this year in my yard. Neighbors and trick-or-treaters loved it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Darin said when asked if they handed out treats. “We had already bought a lot, and my neighbor behind me bought some to donate to it as well.” Visitors were greeted by a glowing cauldron for free-will donations and the promise of candy on Halloween night. The group estimates hundreds stopped by over the three-night display, with both kids and adults braving the haunt. “We just love Halloween,” Lumley said. “Everybody decorates for Christmas — let’s make Halloween a thing too!”

A video of the event, shared on Darin Lumley’s personal Facebook page, shows a mix of chills, laughs, and plenty of hometown fun.

The family expressed gratitude to all who came. “We want to thank everyone who stopped by and shared a little Halloween spirit with us,” they said.

And for those already wondering — yes, they’re already planning for next year. “We do plan on doing it again, even bigger and better,” Lumley promised. “We’re always buying more props.”