By JENNIFER MAIER / Community Columnist

For years she has been known as the “Queen of Halloween,” and with good reason.  For Leigh Ann Langley, owner of the Columbiana Barber Shop, Halloween is not only a chance to decorate her home, but it is also an opportunity to give back to the Columbiana community.

For two nights in October, Langley will open her home as part of a scholarship fundraiser for Columbiana Main Street (formerly Columbiana Merchants and Professionals Association). The event will consist of a wine and cheese party and a tour of her beautifully decorated home.

The tours will be held from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 and 20. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at Busy Hands Gallery, Davis Drugs or from any Columbiana Main Street Board Member.

Like last year, there will also be a bus group that will depart from the Columbiana Senior Center each night at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. The cost to ride the bus is $5, and special bus tickets will need to be purchased in advance at Busy Hands Gallery. There are only 20 slots for each departure time, so don’t delay in buying your ticket.

Since Labor Day, Langley has been hard at work decorating her home located at 289 Wynlake Drive in Alabaster. Her Halloween collection consists of thousands of items, so you can imagine that it takes some time to get everything situated. But it seems that Langley has the decorating process down to a science.

Her love of Halloween can be traced back to an aunt who gifted Langley with Halloween decorations for most of her life. Although her aunt has passed, Langley keeps the tradition going by adding a piece to her collection each year.

Halloween for most kids is a fun time of year. Many adults can recall some of the memorable costumes they wore during their childhood.

“When I was a little kid I remember my mother making us Halloween suits that matched, which was a big deal because back then you didn’t really go to Walmart to buy a Halloween suit,” Langley recalls.  “She always made our costumes and I couldn’t wait to go trick-or-treating way back then.”

Last year the two-night event raised over $2,000, and hopefully 2016 will prove to be even more successful.

“This is a 50 years old collection that you won’t see anywhere else,” Langley said.

For more information, Langley can be reached at 205-669-5333 or 205-305-1028.