“We love to do it every year for the kids, and we know adults are enjoying it just as much as the kids are, and that the neighborhood likes it. I think it brings this little neighborhood that’s already close-knit together, and makes everyone like a family. It really is like a big family here,” said Peggy Baker.

Nearly every house on Buckeye Circle is bedecked with Halloween and horror scenes, and nestled among the skeletons, witches, demons, and slashers are signs with QR codes to donate to the activist group FreeThree and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The epicenter of this Halloween humanitarianism is the home of Mike and Peggy Baker, affectionately known each October as Baker’s Cemetery. Mike and Peggy said that they have always loved Halloween, and that October is a special time of year for them, with both of their birthdays and their wedding anniversary all in October, and when they began doing their own annual Halloween display in 2011 it was from a simple love of the holiday.

“When we first moved into the neighborhood, the first thing I told our neighbors is my husband is crazy about Halloween, and about decorating, and that first year it filled the entire yard,” joked Peggy.

This year the Bakers decorated houses for 11 neighbors, with even more neighbors getting into the spirit with their own displays, for a total of 16 houses on Buckeye Circle decorated for the season. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

Since then, their annual display has grown larger and more elaborate, motivated by the joy it brought to those around them each year, with Baker’s Cemetery now a regular stop on the Salem Historical Society’s annual ghost tours.

“Kids loved it, the neighbors loved it, and I just saw that it brought joy into the [city], so we’ve tried to think about how to make it better and expand every year,” said Peggy.

“I’ll see stuff on Facebook like, ‘have you been by Buckeye Circle?,’ have you seen ‘Baker’s Cemetery?’ One person said, ‘Buckeye Circle is owning Halloween this year,’ and seeing their comments and enjoying it really motivates me to keep it going,” said Mike.

Last year the display began expanding across Buckeye Circle, with the Bakers decorating nine houses last year, and that has only grown this year, with 11 neighboring houses decorated and more still putting up their own decorations, for a total of 16 houses decorated in themes including Friday the 13th, Scooby Doo, a sunken ship, the headless horseman, killer clowns, and more. The actual decorating has also become a community affair, with neighbors helping Mike to place and set up the larger pieces, which include a flying witch and multiple giant skeletons and animatronics, and even neighborhood kids putting out smaller decorations.

“We’re known as Baker’s Cemetery and keep that theming in our yard with a sign, but for our neighbors we try to change things up, if we have the headless horseman scene in one neighbor’s yard, we try to move it for the next year so it doesn’t get stale,” said Mike.

This year’s display has added a humanitarian element to the annual horror, with QR code signs to donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and FreeThree nestled among the ghosts and ghouls this year. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

Mike said their collection of Halloween decorations had already outgrown a storage unit and was beginning to outgrow a classroom they rent at the former South Range Middle School in Greenford, and that each year they begin moving items out of storage in October. Mike also said that the entirety of September is dedicated to preparing and setting up the display so that it’s ready for October.

“I told [Peggy] we’ll have to start earlier next year,” joked Mike.

Once October arrives the display is switched on from about 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until about 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays to be courteous of people’s sleep. Mike said that each year they keep everything up through the end of trick or treat for the year and turn everything off again for the year on Nov. 1.

Mike said that this year’s addition of donation signs was inspired by Spirit Halloween’s annual fundraising, and that over $400 had been raise for St. Jude’s this year.

“People have asked if we took donations to help with the display, but we really do it because we like to do it, so we thought of Spirit Halloween partnering with charities to do things for kids, and we feel that Halloween is really for little kids, and we wanted to do something similar,” said Mike.

Mike and Peggy Baker, which has affectionately come to be known as Baker’s Cemetery each October, has become the epicenter for an ever-growing celebration of the special fun of Halloween and horror since they first began their annual display in 2011. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

“I’ve been surprised by the number of donations we’ve gotten and the generosity of the community,” said Peggy.

Peggy said that St. Jude had been chosen as it is among the most highly regarded child-centered charities, and that FreeThree had been recommended by their neighbor Debbie Leggett, who was familiar with the work they do in fighting human trafficking and forced labor.

“For St. Jude 100% of their proceeds goes toward the kids, and to me that’s awesome. It all goes to the research, the housing, the care, and to bringing their community together, like for Halloween they get to go around the hospital and trick or treat and not miss out on those things. And the work FreeThree is doing is so important,” said Peggy.

mahart@mojonews.com

This year the Bakers decorated houses for 11 neighbors, with even more neighbors getting into the spirit with their own displays, for a total of 16 houses on Buckeye Circle decorated for the season. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

Each yard has its own unique theme including themes including Friday the 13th, Scooby Doo, a sunken ship, the headless horseman, killer clowns, and more. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)