A Holt Halloween Tradition Is Ending After 30 Years
Driving past my neighbor's house has become a Halloween progress report. One day, there's a witch. Then bloody doll heads hanging from a tree. Curiosity got the best of me, so I introduced myself to Debbie Wright, the woman who turns 1963 Cromwell Street in Holt into a nightmare with a building permit... and it is awesome!
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Debbie has done this for 30 years. What started as a front yard display has evolved, spreading through her garage, into the backyard, and out a side exit. She calls it Immortal Grounds Haunted House, and it's worth a visit (unless you're a doll; then I'd skip it).
Debbie began decorating the first week of September. She loves making props look old and creepy, although owning 800 dolls gives her a head start. She bought them from a Saginaw doll dealer (I never knew that was a thing until I met Debbie) and needed two trips to bring them home. Nothing says dedication to Halloween like a second doll run.
When I stopped by, volunteers Ian Webber and Tammy Wedley were helping put together this year’s haunt. Tammy grew up across the street and, as a child, thought Debbie was a witch. Based on the display featuring witches holding dolls in a cage, that's a fair assumption.
Each year brings fresh fears to the Immortal Grounds. This year's theme is "Cromwell's Asylum," filled with strange characters and the feeling that something is waiting around the corner. The best part is that Debbie has turned her love of Halloween into a free destination for visitors from Holt and across Mid-Michigan. Donations to the Holt Food Bank are encouraged.
If you've never seen it, this is the year to do it, as Debbie says this will be the last year for the walkthrough. Take the daylight tour on October 29 from 4 to 6 p.m., experience the full scare on October 30 from 7 to 9 p.m., or visit on Halloween from 6 to 8 p.m.
I'm glad I met Debbie. I make it a point to be friendly to anyone with hundreds of bloody doll heads hanging from a tree and faceless nurse mannequins in their garage.
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Gallery Credit: Scott Clow
