BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — This Halloween, there has been a lot of changes due to COVID-19 -- with questions surrounding trick-or-treating. But that’s not stopping all the fun, in fact, one family is going above and beyond to raise your Halloween spirits
For the Fone family, Halloween is no laughing matter.
Shane Fone and his family moved to Bakersfield from Los Angeles just before Halloween last year, so this year is the first time the family is able to set up their haunted Halloween fixtures.
"Plenty of pirates, lots of Nightmare Before Christmas, we have lots of Haunted Mansion, lots of creatures," Shane said. "Lots of spooky things but still friendly enough for younger visitors."
It's a tradition for the family spanning 10 years. What started with one tree has now grown to a full Disney-themed extravaganza in the family's yard.
Mixing in some of the Fone's favorite Disney movies, visitors can take a stroll through the Haunted Mansion graveyard, before entering Oogie Boogie's layer with Jack and Sally. After that, sail into Davy Jones' Locker with the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Shane and his wife Tina said with the pandemic this year, they're happy to bring something fun that the entire community can enjoy. They hope that people will stop by and enjoy an escape from the real world.
"The whole passion for it is to more people come, the more the better. They can do drive-bys," said Shane. "We’re still welcoming people to walk by if they like. Everyone has to obviously practice safe distancing."
Usually along with the haunted graveyard, the family creates a spooky maze for visitors to walk through, something pirate or jungle themed. However, with the pandemic this year, they decided not to offer that part.
But they hope that this year will attract people to continue to come back, and maybe next year they can bring back the maze and more.
"I’m looking forward to all the new people that are going to come see it and I’m hoping that next year there’s going to be more people and a bigger following and people are going to be looking forward to coming every year," said Brandon Fone, Shane and Tina's son.
Until then, they hope the people of Bakersfield will find some resolve in their home, as they've found here in Bakersfield.
"We were always kind of like 'We're good in L.A.,' but we are so happy here, I wish we’d come sooner," Tina said.
You can stop by the Fone's home this Halloween and see the extravaganza yourself. You can find them at 3604 Sierra Meadows Drive.
