Article by Mason Voight
Getting in the spirit is an easy task for this Waite Park couple, especially around Halloween. Just a few miles away from St. Cloud State University, fans of the holiday are invited to the corner of 2nd Ave S and Sunwood Park Drive in Waite Park.
Maria and Jeff Bircher have only been collecting their display for the past few seasons. They are inspired by the community it brings and love sharing their love of Halloween with everyone.
“It all started when they came out with the big skeleton at Home Depot,” said Maria Bircher. Maria’s husband Jeff explained that “Skelly” from Home Depot was extremely popular. “If you could get your hands on him, you couldn’t get him,” said Jeff Bircher. Everyone is welcome to walk in their yard and look at their display during the daytime hours but the monsters don’t come “alive” until dusk. The monsters then go to sleep around 9:30 p.m.
Taylor Swift has also truly proven her chokehold on American culture as we see her sneaking into Halloween displays like Jeff and Maria’s. “This is the life of a showgirl, night of the living dead version,” said reporter Mason Voight of UTVS.
While it may seem like all fun and games, Jeff and Maria talked about some conflicts they come into when setting up their display. A violent windstorm last season left their giant skeleton with a bone that took a couple of hours to bend back into place. Metal and plastic pieces have started to break down due to Minnesota’s frigid climate. This leaves multiple display pieces needing repairs.
“For the past couple years, we’ve ran out of candy,” said next door neighbor Kaylynn. “This is such a huge draw and we’re right next door.” Kaylynn is a fan of the new Beetlejuice display but also loves to see the ever-changing skeleton scenes every year.
The Bircher family wants to extend their love of community and truly encourage everyone to get in on the Halloween fun by checking out their free display.
The display is set to run until the weekend after Halloween.
Recent Comments