Woodland residents, Ryan and Jillian Madole are ready to hand out candy to visiting trick-or-treaters during a previous Nightmare on Woodland Street.
PHOTO COURTESY ZACH LEE
Heidi Milliken’ s‘ Stranger Things’ themed yard.‘ I just want to create something magical for kids,’ Milliken says.
PHOTO COURTESY HEIDI MILLIKEN
“ I just want to create something magical for kids,” she said.“ That’ s one reason I want to keep doing this. It gives them a chance to release that creativity and it’ s so much fun for them to be able to dress up and act out the parts.”
Today, it would be difficult to imagine a time when Woodland Street wasn’ t one of, if not the most visited Cullman neighborhood on Halloween. Thousands of children visit each year and it would be easier to count the number of houses between Highway 31 and Saint Joseph Street that weren’ t ready to welcome visitors.
“ I never thought it would be to the level that it is. It’ s mindblowing. I never knew the community would participate and support and love this neighborhood the way they have,” Lee said.“ You know I’ ve done a lot of good things in my life, but I’ m the most proud that my wife and I sparked this neighborhood to be what it has become today.”
While the Lees and Milikens may be some of the more extravagantly decorated homes in the neighborhood, they both agree that they are just a part of a much larger community effort making this possible. Lee is also quick to point out that the spectacle may be a fun part of Halloween, but the small things count too.
“ I don’ t care if it’ s a big pirate ship in the yard or if it’ s a family with a candy bowl and a jack-o’-lantern on the porch,” Lee said.“ That was the vision I had all the way back in 2009. I wanted to make the West side of Cullman on Woodland Street a place where these families could come and have a free, traditional Halloween experience the way I remember it when I was a kid. C
“ I wanted to make the West side of Cullman on Woodland Street a place where these families could come and have a free, traditional Halloween experience.”— Zach Lee
Cullman magazine | HOLIDAY 2026
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