Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Drive-By Halloween Haunts
Trail of Fears showcases Bella Vistans' creativity
Teah Bidwell was born not on the Fourth of July — like the movie title — but on Oct. 31. And she says a passion for Halloween was “just ingrained in me.” When she got her first home in Centerton, she started to decorate for the fall holiday. And as the old saying goes, one thing led to another.
“I had one string light in my front yard in 2014 that said ‘Boo’ in my front bushes,” she remembers. “It just grew year after year until my yard could no longer hold all the fun in, and we began expanding to the neighbors’ yards!”
The result, which moved to Bella Vista when Bidwell did, is called the Trail of Fears, and it has 18 homes on it this year decorated for drive-by viewing:
81 Lancaster Drive
79 Lancaster Drive
77 Lancaster Drive
27 Chapel Lane
4 Beeston Lane
6 Nottingham Drive
50 Hatcher Drive
19 Wincanton Lane
8 Holt Lane
36 Basildon Drive
31 Wentworth Drive
1 Glenbarr Lane
12 Sandwick Place
36 Eddleston Drive
13 Selland Drive
5 S. Brent Lane
3 Faye Lane
3 Leo Circle
“Trail of Fears is meant to be something even young kids can get out and enjoy,” Bidwell says. “Drive by in the safety of your car and enjoy the work and creativity that people put into their decorations. Hopefully, it inspires the young ones to start creating something of their own and open their imaginations into a whole world of possibilities.”
Bidwell has moved on to planning Skeleton Acres, a Halloween “destination” for the whole family she hopes to open in Noel, Mo., in 2025, and meanwhile, she’s running the Elk River Haunted Float in Pineville, Mo.
“My husband is 100 percent on board with our Halloween craziness,” she laughs. “We both work full time, and all our spare time is dedicated to community involvement, dog rescue and Halloween!”
Find out more about the haunted float at facebook.com/theelkriverhauntedfloat.