By Stephen Floyd
Halloween has become a lot more fun this year for one family in Mount Angel.
Emily and Greg Sisk were already prepared to go big after their lederhosen-themed skeletons got a lot of attention in 2022.
Little did they know their efforts would be viewed by more than 1 million people online and touch the lives of friends and strangers in a meaningful way.
Their home on the 400 block of Main Street can’t be missed: 12-foot skeletons tower over an assembly of ghouls, witches and demons in a display the Sisk’s affectionately label “festively irresponsible.”
While the spectacle was still under construction, Emily Sisk thought it would be fun to arrange the smaller skeletons bowing down before their giant counterparts and to post a video on TikTok. The 20-second video posted Aug. 26 pans from the lowly skeletons to the giants – accompanied by dramatic music from The Lion King – and quickly garnered 1.4 million views.
“What a riot, huh?” Emily Sisk told Our Town about this surge in viewership.
She said one unexpected result has been the opportunity to meet new neighbors from in and around Mount Angel who saw the clip. She also said the comments on TikTok, totaling over 1,300, were “really positive.”
And during Mount Angel Oktoberfest, the Sisks added messages of hope and encouragement to the display. This year Oktoberfest coincided with National Suicide Prevention Week and, having lost a brother-in-law to suicide in 2018, Emily Sisk wanted to share the message that “things will get better.”
“We had dozens of people stop to talk to us about (the signs) during the Oktoberfest,” she said. “So many beautiful stories of survival, of life-long battles, and tragic stories of loss.”
Emily Sisk said life has been difficult for so many during the last few years that it has been encouraging to watch people pass by, smile and “enjoy a little spooky.”
She said they hope residents will enjoy Halloween this year and let loose with costumes, candy and goodhearted fun, saying life is too short to take too seriously. She added, with all the encouragement and excitement from neighbors fueling their growing display, the time may come when they need a bigger yard.
