EAST ALTON - If there was ever a person who was struck with Halloween fever, it is Toni Ann Smith and her family at 212 Cardot St. in East Alton.
Even with the COVID-19 Pandemic, Toni has gone full out once again with her legendary Halloween display.
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Toni added a 12-foot skeleton this year, having traveled to the Quincy Home Depot to obtain it. She believed the 2.5-hour drive each way was worth it. Toni encourages residents to visit her home and trick-or-treat there because she said she has loads of candy for them.
“We joined a Facebook group called The 12-Foot Skelton Fan Club,” she said. “There are thousands of people who show their skeletons. I also have a 9-foot tarantula on my roof and a 9-foot skeleton horse. I live on a dead-end, so we don’t get that many trick-or-treaters, but I spend thousands on Halloween decorations each year.”
The Halloween display has a variety of gravestones, one states "This person died because they didn’t forward the Facebook message on to 10 more people."
“I paint my porcelain dolls and I have a bunch of zombie babies, witches, and a little candy station,” she said. “I bought extra candy for trick-or-treaters this year because I knew a story was going out on Riverbender.com."
Toni is a health care worker and her husband owns his own business and works in construction.
Toni encourages people to wear masks while they trick-or-treat and visit her display. She plans to have hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes available. She added that she will also encourage social distancing.
Toni’s children Natalie Harrop, 16, Nathan Harrop, 12, and their father, Shaun Harrop, all join in the Halloween fun each year by assembling the widespread display.
“I have been with Shaun for 25 years and he is always supportive,” Toni said. “He knows my obsession with Halloween and always helps me.”
Buy The 12' Skeleton:https://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Accents-Holiday-12-ft-Giant-Sized-Skeleton-with-LifeEyes-5124738/312513260
