The Witch of Lomax Street

If you’ve ever driven down Lomax Street during the Halloween season, chances are you’ve seen Newman’s home. It’s the one with spooky music and sound effects, multiple fog machines and tombstones, skeletons, witches and ghosts stretched from one end of the property to the other.

It’s quite a sight to behold.

The decorating tradition started about 13 years ago when Newman’s son stopped trick- or-treating – a decision that “totally devastated” Newman, she said. The following year, Newman decided she wanted to be a witch for Halloween, so she made her one and only costume and since then she’s been known as the Witch of Lomax Street. At first, Newman started simple when it came to Halloween decorations, maybe a couple of tombstones and a ghost, but as the years went on, the amount of decorations
started to grow.

“Every year after that first one, I’d add a little bit more to the decorations,” she said. “Last year I decided I was going to expand even more and not just along the front of the house, but the whole property.”

Halloween is my favorite holiday, without a doubt. It’s the one time of year I can dress up and spark excitement (and strike a little fear) in the hearts of people all across the Model City.

Ever since my children were old enough to walk, we’ve taken them trick-or-treating. And though my kids have “technically” aged out of trick-or-treating, we still get dressed up and go out every Halloween.

Personally, I don’t believe you can age out of trick-or-treating. I don’t care if you show up at my house on Halloween with a full beard, smoking a Marlboro, I’m going to hand you a Snickers bar.

A kindred spirit when it comes to Halloween is Kingsport resident Christina Newman, or as she is more commonly known as during this time of year – the Witch of Lomax Street.

Though Newman is not a fan of horror movies (strange right?) she is a fan of Halloween, as you can probably guess. So much so, it’s the only holiday of the year when she decorates her home.

SKELETONS IN THE GRAVEYARD

Newman starts decorating her house and property around the first of October and does a little bit each day until the week before Halloween. At that point, she takes off from work a few days to put the finishing touches on her haunted half-acre.

Each year there’s a different theme too, be it a witch’s hut or a mausoleum, ghosts or monsters. This year the theme is skeletons. Twenty-four of them to be exact, with all of them on display in a variety of funny poses.

One is trying to escape up a tree from some skeletal dogs, a couple are gathered around a fishing hole and a few more are hanging around the “Lomax Cemetery” sign (which greets visitors to the property).

Newman has purchased more than 100 pounds of candy, which will be given away at four or five candy stations throughout the property. That may sound like a lot of candy, but when more than 600 children come through (as they did last year), those sweet treats might not stick around all night.

Newman’s mother, who loves Halloween just as much as her daughter, has also made special “witch’s wands” to give away to the children who come by to visit.

“About six years ago, my mother decided to make a gift for the kids. She’s done necklaces, wands and bracelets,” Newman said. “Kids keep the gifts and bring them back the next year. That makes us feel like we’re doing something good for the kids.”

SPOOKY, BUT NOT TOO SCARY

This year, Newman is going all out for Halloween. Ten projection systems will be set up throughout the property – a front door butler who talks about the master of the house; flying ghosts and skeletons in the windows, a skeleton band rockin’ in the garage and a witch’s hut with a cauldron and a witch casting spells.

Nothing gory or too scary, just plenty of spooky fun for everyone, she said.

“I’ve got eight fog machines to put out, there will be lots of music and sounds effects and each of the projections will have their own sound effects too,” Newman said. “It’s going to be big.”

In the past, Newman has kept a majority of the decorations along the front of the property behind a fence that can be taken down after Halloween. What she found out is folks want to walk amongst and get close to the decorations.

Which is why Newman and her husband Jeffrey have spread the decorations all around their house this year for children and their families to walk through and enjoy. “We don’t try to scare them. We just try and have fun,” Newman said.

If you want to pay the Witch of Lomax Street a visit this Halloween, you are more than welcome to drive by this weekend to see the decorations or stop by on Oct. 31 for the full experience (and plenty of candy). Just don’t park in the driveway please. Newman wants to make sure everyone has a chance to access and enjoy the “Lomax Cemetery.”