Photo by Mike Brothers
Setting the graveyard nook are (from left) Quinton Cunningham, Chris Crabtree and Cody Board. After two nights of ghoulish fun, the whole thing is removed.

A 12 year tradition

•November 4, 2015•

By Mike Brothers

It’s been 12 years since Chris Crabtree’s kids thought they were too old to trick or treat.

That’s when they started converting the front yard of the family home on Harrison Street into the haunted graveyard.

It was open 6-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30 and 31 in conjunction with Sullivan trick or treating times.

Open to any and everyone who is willing to test their terror capacity, the Crabtree project gets bigger every year.

“We started out with the ticket booth and four sections that came out to the street,” Crabtree said of the first year, emphasizing the dogwood tree has always been at the center.

Chris and his band of family and friendly volunteers spend weeks building the giant black plastic enclosure.

“This is the sixth year we have totally enclosed the rooms,” he explained,  pointing out his mom Connie Bordher would be at the entrance handing out candy as she has every year.

Crabtree said they handed out about 300 treat bags which brings the two night total of visitors to about 500.

There are up to 14 volunteers needed to man the various fright stations within the black plastic shrouded lawn.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.