Okotoks entrepreneurs are brewing up a Halloween scare.
The Okotoks Film Festival (OFF) will be running the Hollywood Horrors Haunted Brewery on the second floor of Hub Town Brewing Co. from Oct. 27-30 as part of its Nightmare OFF Elma Street tradition, along with a costume party on Oct. 28.
“We’re basically turning the upstairs of the brewery into a haunted house,” said OFS director Katie Fournell.
“It’s going to be full of horror movie villains, so all the classics: we’ve got Freddie Krueger, Jason, we’ve got most villains from that era, and we’ve got nine actors participating in the event.”
The event is geared for ages 12 and up, and younger kids need parental permission.
Hub Town’s proprietors Mark and Lisa Watts are always looking to create fun and nonsense at their brewery; over the past few winters, their front patio has been converted into a miniature curling rink, and this past summer, cornhole lanes were set up.
“We like to do crazy things that give the public something fun to do,” said Lisa. “It’s just giving people a reason to get out and have some fun.
“We don’t make any money on it; we shut down the upper level which takes away three days (of) revenue, but it brings some excitement and gives people less reasons to leave town.”
The event fills a gap, Fournell explained, given the lack of larger Halloween events.
“In Okotoks, we don’t actually have a haunted house, which is kind of surprising,” Fournell said. “Okotoks is great for Christmas: there’s three events a day during December, but for Halloween, especially for people who like the Halloween spirit, we don’t have too many activities.”
The brewery, however, has been doing its Nightmare Off Elma Street since opening.
The event runs Oct. 27 and 28 from 7 p.m. to midnight, and Oct. 29 and 30 from 6 to 10 p.m.
Tickets are $10 per person or $45 for a group of five, and can be found at hubtownbrewing.com. Tickets for the costume party are separate.
