Spirited Halloween 2021 Trend: Haunted Drinking and Dining Experiences

Haunted houses of the Halloween variety, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and hayrides have all become standard October activities. But have you noticed a new Halloween 2021 trend? Or have haunted drinking and dining experiences always been around and they’re just now making my radar?

It’s something we definitely didn’t see last year thanks to the pandemic. But even in 2019 —or in other years past for that matter— I don’t recall seeing the types of gatherings that are popping up this year. Or so many.

They’re all a little bit different. Some are drinks only, others combine spirits of the alcoholic variety with dinner. But they all seem to include a spooky show or entertainment of some sort.

Let’s take a peek at some of them.

House of Spirits Haunted Cocktail Soiree

One of the first ones that caught my eye this year was House of Spirits. The haunted cocktail soiree will take place in three cities, Los Angeles, Dallas and New York.

A haunted house is the setting for each gathering. Each has different backstories. Well, two do. Dallas and New York share the same one.

Los Angeles

The resident spirits focus their tale on the demise of the Vasiliev family, at the hands of the unholy ‘miracle man’, Volkov. Inspired by the real life history of Russian holy-man Rasputin and the Romanov royal family, House of Spirits weaves a disquieting and original story with riffs on classic Russian/Scandinavian folktales that are certain to leave guests delightfully chilled.

Dallas and New York

Experience the haunting tale of Molly and Francisco Vega, a young couple who lost their baby during childbirth. Francisco focuses his grief into art and begins a series of disturbing paintings, while Molly’s grief drives her to a much darker place. Loosely based on the life and artwork of famous Spanish painter Francisco Goya, House of Spirits weaves a disquieting and interactive storyline certain to leave guests delightfully chilled.

But regardless of the location, each venue will offer themed drinks, macabre magic, sinister séances, tarot readings, strange roaming specters, live music, hidden secret games, and giant Ouija boards.

Haunted Dining in the Dark

The next spirited Halloween 2021 gastronomic event to catch my eye was Chicago’s Haunted Dining in the Dark. It will take place in October, Wednesdays through Saturdays, starting October 13 at Masq in the Hubbard Inn.

However, I later learned this is happening in other cities too, including:

• Atlanta, GA
• Charleston, SC*
• Charlotte, NC*
• Denver, CO
• Detroit, MI
• Houston, TX – They have two locations, one at Mastrantos and the other at Savoir.
• Nashville, TN*
• New Orleans, LA
• Orlando, FL*
• Philidelphia, PA
• San Antonio, TX*
• San Francisco, CA*
• Tampa, FL*

As of this writing, cities marked with a “*” are waitlisted, but you can sign up to be alerted when tickets go on sale.

But what is dining in the dark? Just what it sounds like. In some cases, mask-clad servers equipped with night-vision goggles deliver meals to patrons who are seated completely in the dark. In other cases diners are blindfolded.

I’m usually not afraid of the dark. In fact, if I could plunge my bedroom into pitch darkness I would. (And I’m still actively in the process of blocking out stray streaks of light.) But dining in total darkness…that sort of freaks me out.

But the blindfold option would be okay. At least I could sneak a peek if I was really tempted to.

Sleepy Hollow Bar: A Spectral Cocktail Experience

This is an immersive haunting experience based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. You step into a hidden bar where who knows what ghost stories await you. It’s a 90-minute show that includes a welcome drink, plus two other themed cocktails.

It’s happening in these cities. Unless they’re marked with an “*”. Then as of the publication of this post, they’re waitlisted. But you can sign up to receive a notification when tickets become available.

• Chicago, IL
• Cleveland, OH*
• Washington, DC

Interestingly —and surprisingly— there’s not one in New York.

Witchcraft! Spooky Spirit Virtual Mixology Class

There’s no need to leave your home for this one. You can partake in it on Friday, October 22; Saturday, October 23; or Friday, October 29.

Your ticket price includes a drink kit that’s mailed to you. It contains all the ingredients you’ll need to concoct mystical cocktails featuring smoke, fire, and transmutation.

During the event, you’ll also be treated to live magic and musical guests.

I’ve definitely never heard of anything like this before. And even though I’m not much of a drinker, I’m sure curious about the smoke, fire, and transmutation. I might have to order a kit and try my hand at conjuring up some spooky libations!

Where to Find Haunted Drinking and Dining Experiences

All of the events listed above are ones I found on Fever, which is the other Halloween 2021 trend I’ve noticed.

It used to be a lot of events like these would be ticketed through Eventbrite. But this year I’ve noticed a ton coming from Fever, which offers events not just n the U.S., but in cities worldwide.

To check if there are any events near you, visit https://feverup.com/.

Note: The link may take you to Atlanta’s listings, but you’ll see it’s easy enough to see what cities they have and choose a different one.

Check-In

Do you remember seeing haunted drinking and dining experiences in Halloween’s past? Or is this really a newer trend for Halloween 2021?