BELLE — For Gina Weller-Tegart of Belle, Halloween is more than costumes and candy. It’s a season that brings joy to her family, her neighbors and anyone passing by her home near the school.

“I like Halloween because it seems to make people happy,” Weller-Tegart said. “You can dress up and be somebody different if you want to be. You can be a superhero for the day, or you can be a princess, or you can be a witch. It just brings people joy. When I see people dressed up, it makes me happy.”

Weller-Tegart has been decorating her front yard for Halloween since moving into her house 26 years ago. With her home so visible to the community, she wanted to create something festive for students, friends and neighbors.

“I know a lot of people are gonna see it, and I want them to drive by and be like, ‘Oh, that made me happy,’” she said. “I’ve literally had people text me and say, ‘Hey, I drove by your yard and it made me smile.’”

Her love of Halloween began as a child attending church parties that included bobbing for apples, cake walks and costume contests.

“My mom always dressed up, too,” she said. “When my kids got older, we carried on the tradition. One year my daughter Morgan was Dorothy, my ex was the Scarecrow, I was the Lion and my daughter Ashley was Toto. We have pictures of that, and it just grew. We love dressing up, and now Chris and I do it, too.”

Her partner, Chris Gehlert, shares her enthusiasm, often joining in on costumes and helping expand their display. Together, they’ve shifted away from spooky themes toward more harvest-style decorations.

“Historically, especially for our area here in Belle, it is at the end of the harvest season,” she said. “People back then did have these things as celebrations. I never looked at Halloween as evil. I just know it brings people joy, and that’s what I like to do.”

For Weller-Tegart, attending community gatherings as a child, such as church fall festivals, brought neighbors together from miles around.

The couple’s 1931 Ford truck has even become part of the festivities. Weller-Tegart enjoys imagining how it might have been used decades ago, carrying apples, walnuts or even children heading to different Halloween parties over the years.

“It just makes it so much more traditional,” she said. “That old truck made me go bigger for Halloween.”

Though it seems each year that fewer homes in Belle are decorated for Halloween than she remembers from her childhood, Weller-Tegart still sees value in carrying on the spirit of celebration, especially with how it connects people in the community.

“With trick-or-treating, you kind of get to know your neighbor,” she said. “I think about those old hayrides and weenie roasts, and how they brought people together. That’s what I’d like to see again.”

For now, she’s content to do her part—filling her yard with festive displays, putting smiles on faces and keeping alive the traditions her family has enjoyed for years.

“My blow mold collection is getting bigger every year,” she said with a laugh. “It started with Christmas, then Halloween. I’m gonna have to find a new shed to put them in because they take up a lot of space.”

She continues to put so much work into the holiday displays at her house.

“I just know it brings people joy,” Weller-Tegart said. “And that’s what I like to do.”