CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW)- Like many in Clarksville, The Bones Family have had a tough week. Unlike many in Clarksville, The Bones Family are skeletons.
The Bones Family are the stars of the “Cat and Cauldron,” an annual display in the front yard of the Garcia’s Elkmont Drive home. Now in its seventh year, the display was affected by last Saturday’s severe weather.
Although the Garcia family tried to save as much of their elaborate display before the storm, their home and display was damaged.
“After the storm hit, we had extensive damage to the display,” Sarah Garcia said. “We lost a couple of skeletons and props, but the big mausoleum we built, it took flight and crashed. We were outside trying to salvage everything. But after it happened we looked at each other and were at a loss. We’ve been doing this for years and we usually build onto everything. We were watching years of work get decimated. We looked and said what do we do?”
Sarah Garcia said her phone began ringing off the hook as neighbors asked how they could help.
On Sunday, Oct. 27, The Bones family like others began to clean up and rebuild.
“We changed the storyline, the day after the storm hit the Bones’ are picking up the pieces and have the support of their friends and are trying to reassemble,” Sarah Garcia said. “I think it’s the most moving one we’ve ever done. A lot of our healing went into it. It strikes a chord with a lot of people…if they’ve ever had damage they think, ‘What do we do next?’”
The Bones Family picked up the pieces and are ready to welcome the estimated 750 visitors that come visit them on Oct. 31.
The Bones Family of Sugar Tree subdivision are Manny Bones, Annie Bones, Mannie Jr. their triplets: Ima, Ema R., and Seymour, Uncle Barry Bones the troublemaker, Granny, Pop-Pop, Aunt Jessica Bones and an array of pets: Fluffy, Tiny, Buster and Schnitzel. They all reside in Halloweentown and come visit the Cat and Cauldron each October.
All the characters and scenes are created by Sarah Garcia, her husband, who is a US Army veteran and their six children.
The Bones Family began with one skeleton- Mr. Manny Bones- who lived in the house all of October.
“Mr. Bones was an elf on the shelf at first. We’d bring him out and hide him with treats. Other days he’d play the piano or read the newspaper,” Sarah Garcia said. “The year my husband deployed to get out the sunk of the deployment we started doing it outside.”
Mr. Bones moved around the first year. As the years went on, he found love and met his wife, Annie. They got married and had children, triplets and then there were pets. Friends and family came to visit.
“We get bigger and more elaborate every year,” Sarah Garcia said.
This year they have 36 skeleton characters in the daily shenanigans of the Bones Family.
It takes the Garcia family 9 months to prepare The Bones Family for Halloween. They come up with storyboards and build the scenery and props. They do sketches, and as October approaches, they pick their favorite scenes. Inspiration comes from daily life and brainstorming.
“A lot of it is day-to-day life. Today Junior is diving over the group of kids huddled under the pinata. That actually happened. My son did that,” said Sarah Garcia. “Sometimes its day to day life and we’ll turn to each other and say, ‘That’s going in the yard.’ Sometimes it’s things that come to us.”
The Bones family only moves around at night and even after long school days, the children are helping create a new scene.
‘It’s a lot of fun, and the kids like it. It’s a lot of hard work for them,” Sarah Garcia said. “When they see the positive feedback it makes it so much more fun for them. To have people appreciate it is all the reward we ever ask for.”
To learn more about the Bones Family visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bonesfamilyofclarksville/