BOWDEN – The Mackie family of Bowden are not related to the celebrated Munster or Addams families but they absolutely have the same love for macabre fun.
2022 marks 18 consecutive years the Mackie family, led by dad Steve, awakened the ghosts and ghouls in late September to get ready for their annual All Hallows' Eve meet with hundreds of trick-or-treaters who will once again marvel with shock at the celebrated Hallowe'en House at 2218 – 20 Ave.
“Steve has always been a huge Hallowe’en fan. It just trickled down,” said Stacey, the mom of the Mackie household, whose devoted Hallowe’en-loving clan includes 21-year-old daughter Shelby and 20-year-old son Gage. “Shelby and I do the majority of the painting. Gage helps out when he can between work and school.
“We've always done it as a family.”
There’s no doubt the annual Hallowe’en project is a huge undertaking as the family is once again expecting big numbers this year.
In 2020, the Mackie family welcomed 246 visitors to the Hallowe’en House; numbers helped by Oct. 31 being a Saturday. In 2021 the numbers dipped to 167, a Sunday night.
But with all COVID-19 restrictions lifted and new features added for this year’s Hallowe’en celebration there’s optimism for a great turnout.
However, Steve and his family are not putting in all the hard work and enthusiasm for numbers.
They do it just for the pure love of community and creation; the sheer joy and satisfaction of seeing wonder on the face of any visitor. Anyone of any age is welcome here on All Hallows' Eve.
“I could get just two kids and be happy. It’s just that I like to see the kids and the community out and enjoying it,” said Steve, who is such a huge fan of Hallowe’en he named his son Gage after the fictional child character and primary antagonist in the novel and movie Pet Sematary. “I named my son after him and gave him a tombstone in in the yard too.”
The large Mackie front yard is now split in two, with one side themed for torture and the other a cemetery. There are ghouls spread about on the entire yard. And then there is the hearse, a recent addition, that will have extra spooky delights for visitors on Oct. 31.
“Stacey's going to put curtains in it this year. And then we have a skeleton that lays in there. And then we got a guy that sits up here and drives. And then I want to buy a skeleton horse but they're hard to find,” said Steve. “We're just going to project a horse onto a sheet so it makes it look like he's being pulled.”
This year also has the added attraction of many zombies, with Shelby creating many from foam heads, along with ideas from the popular television show The Walking Dead.
“I like doing arts and crafts anyways, so it's just nice to be able to add my own little zombie head here and there, and to everything,” said Shelby, pointing out one that was based from a character from The Walking Dead. “That's where I usually just look up zombies and try to make it look somewhat like them.
“We also paint all our tombstones, and everything is basically from scrap wood,” she added. “We just put it all kind of together.”
The Mackie family has proudly done it all on Hallowe’en because their mission is to do it together; a tightly-knit family that values and embraces the endearing spirit of small-town living.
“They (children) grew up with it. They’re still at home, so they have kind have no choice,” said mom Stacey, who’s looking ahead to the future for Bowden’s cherished Hallowe’en House.
“We keep saying to them that when they do move out, they're going to have to come home and help at the end of September to get everything set up because as we get older, they're going to have to take over.”
