TULSA, Okla. — A south Tulsa Halloween display is putting a new spin on the Tulsa State Fair.
“Halloween is my favorite holiday!” says Hailey Lada, the homeowner behind it.
For the past few years, her front yard has become a home to a Halloween display unlike any around. It’s an idea she cooked up in her kitchen.
“I have three teenage daughters, so I’m always doing funny things in the house. I had a skeleton sitting in the chair, and the next day you put a wig on it, and the next thing you know, it’s in a bikini in the front yard,” says Lada.
This year Lada’s skeletons are putting on the biggest show yet, a Tulsa State Fair scene complete with a giant Golden Driller.
“My husband built the oil derrick, and the hat on his head is actually a planter that we flipped upside down and spray painted to be his hard hat. I made the shirt and all the things,” says Lada.
The skeletons are posable, and all the props and costumes are homemade.
“The slide is constructed from corrugated plastic that I picked up from a local supply store. I painted it, and it’s a great thing about it cause I can power wash it off and re-use it for the next scene,” says Lada.
Laundry baskets on a clothesline make up The Skyride. There are fairgoers with fair food too.
“They’ve got cotton candy, popcorn, and a corndog, and the mom is holding Megaride passes and some money,” laughs Lada.
And just like the 11 Days of Awesome, you can’t leave without checking on the Petting Zoo.
“We have a dog and the spiders and an ‘enter if you dare’ petting zoo sign. That’s about as scary as we get over here,” says Lada.
Lada spent the last year brainstorming the scene. It took a few weeks to build, and she’s not done yet. She’ll put out a few more displays before Halloween is over.
“We’ll change it every three or four days until the end of the season. My next scene is inspired by a 5-year-old neighbor. He walked by, and I asked him what his favorite movie is, and we came up with the idea that I’m really looking forward to,” says Lada.
Speaking of the neighbors, they all seem to approve. Sarah Hicks and Jenna Aizenman were walking by.
“We like to walk by yearly and see their fun skeletons,” says Hicks. Aizenman adds, “This gets people smiling and having a good time. It’s good for the community, the kids, everybody.”
In a season of ghosts and ghouls, this is a Halloween display designed for grins. And for Lada, that’s what this holiday spirit is all about.
“There are lots of walkers, lots of kids in golf carts, watching them stop and smile, it truly brings me joy,” says Lada.
Because so much of the display is delicate, the Lada family says you’re welcome to stop and check out their displays for as long as you’d like, but to please do so from the street. They also have security cameras protecting the scenes.
You can check out the house at 5804 East 103rd Street, Tulsa.
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