The Dart: Natchez family spooks up Halloween frights, fun

Published 12:18 am Monday, October 23, 2017

 

NATCHEZ — Now that she is in her family home with children, Jessica Stubbs is continuing a tradition her mother started — decorating the house for Halloween.

When The Dart landed on Union Street, Stubbs and her two boys were redoing some spider webs on her porch that a recent storm had knocked down.

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“I love it for my children,” Stubbs said. “They get so into it. My youngest son loves to help decorate.

“Halloween is just really fun. You can get very creative with how you decorate.”

Though Halloween is his second favorite holiday, Stubbs’ youngest, Jordan, 7, said he loves dressing up, trick or treating and decorating the yard.

“I like that they are scary,” Jordan said about the decorations. “I want to make it look like a haunted house.”

Jordan said his favorite decoration is a skeleton with a banjo that lights up and plays the instrument.

Jordan said he saw the skeleton in a restaurant and told his mother he wanted it. Stubbs said she wanted him to save up for it with his allowance, and Jordan said he was able to earn the decoration.

“I like that he plays the banjo,” Jordan said.

Jack Henry, 9, said he does not really like dressing up for Halloween, but he does like the candy.

“I like the chocolate candy more — I like Butterfingers,” he said.

On the other hand, Jordan said costumes are one of his favorite parts of Halloween and he has several in his closet. This year Jordan said he and his friend would dress up as the characters from the movie “Dumb and Dumber.”

“I just really like to do it,” Jordan said.

Jack Henry said his favorite decoration is the graveyard — because it is new — and his mother said she liked the witches, which are flying over the graveyard, the best.

“The witches are just whimsical,” Jessica Stubbs said. “I love their broomsticks. They remind me of the witches from ‘Hocus Pocus,’ which is the boys’ favorite Halloween movie.”

On Halloween night for trick or treaters, the Stubbses go all out with creepy music and costumes. The family dogs — Tom and Louie — even get into Halloween. Jessica Stubbs said last year they were dressed up as football players.

Next year plans include purchasing a fog machine to add some effects, she said.Trick or treaters are not the only people attracted to the house. Jessica Stubbs said tourists stop by all the time to take pictures with the decorations.

“People from France always stop by,” Jessica Stubbs said. “They do not do Halloween in France, so they always think it is just amazing.”

As Jessica Stubbs was placing the webbing across the brick columns, Jordan said the web needed to be lower so it could trap people.

Jessica Stubbs looked at the webbing over the mailbox and the creature’s hand that was covering it up and said they have successfully booby-trapped the mailbox.

“The poor mailman is not going to be able to get in,” she said.

“Good,” Jordan replied. “No more mail!”

Except of course his Dumb and Dumber costume. Jordan said an exception needed to be made when that package arrives.