What started with a single 12-foot skeleton has grown into one of Evans’ most elaborate Halloween yard displays.
For Berkley Hills homeowner Corey Beckworth, the project began as a fun find and has turned into a creative tradition that continues to evolve every fall.
“Honestly, it all started about three or four years ago when I managed to get my hands on one of those 12-foot skeletons,” Beckworth said. “At the time, they were pretty hard to come by, so it felt cool and unique.”
That first piece sparked an annual ritual of expanding and improving. In the second year, Beckworth “corpsed” the giant skeleton — adding layers of latex, paint, and fabric to give it a hauntingly realistic look — and surrounded it with several smaller skeletons for scale.
“By the third year, new props like the groundbreaker skeletons hit the market, and I added one of those along with a Headless Horseman piece,” he said. “Now we’re in year four, and the collection has grown to about a dozen skeletons.”
This year’s upgrades include custom lighting, handmade tombstones, and a fog machine Beckworth built himself. All of his five-foot skeletons have been meticulously corpsed by hand.
“It wasn’t a conscious decision to ‘go all out,’” Beckworth said. “It’s just been a natural progression. Every year, I tweak and build on what I did before to keep it fresh and fun.”
Weeks of work behind the display
While the setup only takes a day, Beckworth spends weeks preparing and perfecting each element.
“I’ve been actively working on the display for about three weeks,” he said. “The time-consuming part this year was corpsing all the skeletons — it took about two weeks.”
He sets up early so neighbors can enjoy the evolving scene as he adds new features leading up to Halloween night.
“Honestly, the display is never really finished until Halloween night,” he said. “I’m always adjusting things, adding new elements, or getting inspired to try something different.”
Community reactions
For Beckworth, the best part of the work is the community response.
“Without a doubt, it’s seeing people’s reactions. That’s what makes it all worth it,” he said when asked what his favorite part of decorating was.
The display has drawn attention beyond his neighborhood, with visitors stopping by after seeing it on social media.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Beckworth said. “We’ve had people come into the neighborhood just to check out the display. When we’re outside, people often stop to compliment it, throw us metal hand signs, or ask to take pictures.”
