Halloween on wheels; Middlesboro woman spreads fear and cheer throughout October
Published 11:46 am Tuesday, October 17, 2023
- Pamela Phipps is a fixture in Middlesboro throughout October. Photo by Jordan Brooks
By Jordan Brooks
jordan.brooks@middlesboronews.com
One Middlesboro woman is spreading the Halloween spirit by covering her car with decorations.
Middlesboro woman Pamela Phipps says instead of decorating her home for Halloween, she celebrates by decorating her vehicle. Phipps says the decorations have cost her well over $500.
Phipps is a wheelchair user and says she sets up at a Middlesboro BP station every night in October to celebrate Halloween. Phipps says her habit can get tiresome, but she is motivated by the joy she brings to people.
Phipps set up includes a sound system, various lights and a fog machine.
“I’m working on setting up a cemetery scene, in the back of it.” said Phipps. “Night time is the best for my car because I have all kinds of lights in it.”
Phipps says she decks out her car instead of her house because of where she lives, which is far from the eyes of onlookers on any main road and trick-or-treaters.
Phipps says she even has a “spooky” name for her car, a Cadillac CTS.
“My car’s name is Christine,” said Phipps. “And yes, I named it after Stephen King’s movie because my car definitely has a mind of its own and does some pretty spooky stuff.”
Phipps dresses up in costume and hands out candy because she says she wants to be a good influence on the local youth.
This is the first year she has passed out candy, but hopes to make it an annual tradition along with decorating her ride.
She was encouraged to do something special for kids because she is a recovering drug addict, and knows firsthand some of the struggles the kids face when they are surrounded by drug addiction.
“I am an ex addict, and I have been clean for nearly two years of drugs,” said Phipps. “I found much better ways to spend my money these days, and that’s buying stuff that makes people happy when they see it. It makes kids happy when they get it, and if I can accomplish that, I’m happy myself.
“I’ve been around a lot of drugs, and I’ve been around a lot of people that’s on drugs and their kids suffer a lot and. They’re everywhere, and I just want to help the kids.”
