The route along Fairway Drive in Central Park is more serene than spooky, especially before sunset.
But as the road winds and the sun ducks behind the tree line, who knows what lurks in the darkness beyond the screen of trees lining backyards? What waits ahead near the road’s end, promises the potential of a hearty Halloween fright.
Coming around a bend in the road, the orange lights flash on the edge where the pavement reaches grass, hovering above the patch of green separating the street from the trees.
Nearing the lights, it’s clear that it’s a typical traffic sign, the type that stands on an orange trailer and usually is placed a mile or so ahead of construction sites warning of impending road work or delays.
The traffic sign along Fairway flashes: “The Bemis Crypt” and “Happy Halloween,” alternating the two phrases.
Across the pavement and into the nearest lawn, ghosts and witches (some 15-feet tall, others stout), tombstones, black cats and pumpkins are scattered along the property.
From the windows of the house, a mummy stares out, hands flat against the glass.
The Grim Reaper rides a pumpkin carriage on the corner of the lot and at the front door another interpretation of the Grim Reaper looms over the porch.
A congregation of ghosts dance through fog in the grass beneath a window, and the walkway to the porch steps is accented with a bird bath fountain spewing a red, blood-like substance, eyeballs and miniature skulls bobbing as they float in the rippling liquid.
A knock on the door summons the homeowners, Dennis and Michelle Bemis, who step into the door frame, a ghostly sight themselves, hauntingly pale and dressed to the nines — a tuxedo on Dennis, a gown and veil on Michelle.
They quote the construction sign, “Happy Halloween,” in unison as they step forward.
Not yet Halloween, but who can wait to adorn the uniform of a Victorian-era ghost? Not the Bemises.
Throughout the country, children will slow traffic to a crawl through neighborhoods and downtowns, dressed as ghosts, or cats, or grim reapers, or skeletons, or any of the Disney favorites — both time tested and flavor of the year — congregating and so full of sugar they may be bobbing to burn away excess energy and excitement.
They’ll rap residents’ front doors with their little hopeful knuckles.
Sometimes they’ll find adults with bowls of candy (the adults playing up their own amazement of the children’s costumes), sometimes they’ll find a bowl of candy on the porch, and sometimes the porch light will be off and nobody will come to the door.
At the Bemis house, they’ll find a PG-rated Halloween scene — the most frightening sight is the bloody bird bath, and possibly one or two of the hanging bodies, but the rest are blow-up figures, well-lit and light hearted.
Fitting for a Halloween created for children close to the Central Park couple.
“At first it was mostly for the grandchildren,” Dennis Bemis said. “Then the rest of the neighborhood took a liking to it.”
The grandchildren have grown, but the tradition of going all out for Halloween continues.
“Even though the grandkids are older, they would be disappointed if we didn’t do it,” Michelle Bemis said.
Dennis’ mother inspired his passion for decorating during the holidays — her big decorating holiday was Christmas.
“It’s mostly a family tradition — my mom did it and still does it,” he said.
And Dennis takes it to another level, celebrating both Halloween and Christmas with the most knickknacks he can get his hands on.
“It started as a menagerie of scary things,” Dennis said.
And the tradition to deck the halls for Halloween and Christmas grows each year.
“If there’s a talking wreath, Denny will buy it and put it up somewhere,” Michelle said. “We decorate every single year and it gets bigger and bigger.”
Additions to the Halloween menagerie this year include a “big green guy” and a 12-foot ghost.
Though they go all out, it doesn’t mean the house is completely sought out, but the couple has hopes each year that additional children will tread lightly along their walkway to solicit candy from the Victorian ghostly hands.
“We don’t have a lot of trick or treaters because we’re so far in, but we have people come every once in a while to look at what we’re doing now,” Michelle said.
Neighbors with children have moved in this year, increasing the odds of the doorbell ringing on Halloween night.
A busy night of trick-or-treaters emptying perpetual bags of candy, or two or three ghouls taking a few pieces and leaving enough leftovers to make the Bemis family dentist smile or cringe (depending) — the point is the excitement.
They’ve been decorating to the nines for Halloween in Central Park since 2004, and there’s no end in sight.
“We’ll keep decorating as long as we’re capable,” Dennis said. “We’ve never thought about not doing it.”
All are welcome.
“If they appreciate it and want to come take a look around, the more the merrier,” Dennis said.
To get to the Bemis house, follow US-12 East, heading toward Olympia, turn right onto Linkshire Drive, hang a left onto Fairway Drive, and take the first right to stay on Fairway.
The construction sign marks “The Bemis Crypt.”
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