Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
OGDEN — You can't accuse Ron Pippin, aka "the Skeleton Man," of skimping or slacking when October rolls around.
Every day of every October, he installs a new skeleton display in the yard of his Ogden home — skeletons skateboarding, joyriding in a Corvette, dancing to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," watching the Major League Baseball playoffs and more — aiming to spread a little Halloween cheer. "It's a creative outlet. It's just fun. I've had so many people say it's something they look forward to," said Pippin, a mortgage broker by day.
He's hardly the only one who takes his Halloween decorating seriously. KSL.com's Halloween map provides information on elaborate displays up and down the Wasatch Front for those who want to take in the Halloween sights. But Pippin, perhaps, takes it to another level, creating a new display every day through the month of October, investing time, energy and money along the way.
"It's not only thousands of hours, it's thousands of dollars," he estimates, factoring in the 30-plus skeletons and props he's acquired or made along the way. The festive home is at 2579 Fillmore Avenue, on Ogden's East Bench.
Still, the response his efforts typically generate — words of support, picture-takers, gawking motorists — make it worthwhile. He posts pictures and videos of his creations to his Instagram account, and the post of one day's display, a giant skeleton holding a plastic bag with a poop emoji while walking a dog, has generated more than a million views. "That's the payoff," he said.
'Halloween was just fun for me'
Pippin launched his annual Halloween effort in 2020, spurred by the monotony of being holed up due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He figured a rotating outdoor display might be just the thing to provoke people's spirits, so to speak, and get them smiling in the midst of dealing with the deadly disease. He typically gets up each morning at 5 or 5:30 a.m. to put up the day's display, aiming to have it done in time for the morning rush of people heading to work or school.
He'll include a few displays each October in the horror genre. But his crew of skeletons also depicts the stuff everyday people might do — skateboarding, playing tennis, bowling — along with other, more quirky scenarios.
There's the skeleton, maybe having suffered a heart attack, getting a charge from a truck — jumper cables attached to his or her ribcage. There are the skeletons, one on a tractor, another on a rider mower, engaged in a tug-of-war as several other skeletons cheer them on. And, there's a skeleton cheer squad in pyramid formation, some in cheer uniforms. Oh, and a skeleton depiction of a biblical David fighting Goliath.
Looking ahead, he plans to keep up the effort up next year, at least. "I've always liked Halloween. Halloween was just fun for me. I have good memories of going out and trick-or-treating as a kid," Pippin said.
Beyond that, he's not so committal, though he gets plenty of prodding from neighbors and other fans who don't want him to give it up. "'Please keep it,'" he said many tell him. "'It's something to look forward to in October.'"
Map: Your guide to Halloween decorations, haunted houses and pumpkin patches in Utah 👻
Make your way to any of the locations on our map to see how Utahns have decorated their homes this year, or visit a local haunted house or pumpkin patch for some fall fun.
