As Halloween creeps around the corner, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate. You can get spooked at thrilling traditions like Boone Hall’s Fright Nights and shoot aliens with laser guns at the new, Area 51-inspired Nightmare at the Navy.
Or, find artistic celebrations in this spooky season roundup, such as the Palmetto City Ballet’s production of Dracula and Charleston’s only shadowcast production of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Maybe you’ll want to play tourist by checking out an entertaining ghost tour.
Whether or not you like being scared, there’s weird, wacky and wonderful activities around town for everyone this Halloween season.
Spend a night in Transylvania
with Charleston’s Absent Friends
Charleston’s Absent Friends (CAF) is the only shadowcast troupe in Charleston. “Shadowcast” is a term that emerged in the late 1980s to describe the performances that grew around the queer-centered, cult classic 1975 film, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (RHPS). In the film, sweethearts Brad and Janet discover the eerie mansion of transvestite scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and the pair ‘lose their innocence’ as they meet his wild friends. As the film plays, a shadowcast acts along with screen-accurate costumes, props and fun traditions for audience interaction. But CAF is about so much more than dress-up, said the group’s leader, Jules Elizabeth.
“Rocky Horror and this tradition of shadowcasting, it’s been a safe space for queer folks since the 70s,” Elizabeth explained. “This movie is almost 50 years old, and it is still just as relevant today.”
CAF offers its RHPS shadowcast on the first Friday of every month at the Terrace Theater. It’s a chance to dress up, find community and engage with an art experience that brings together elements of drag and improv.
“If you feel different, or like you’re one of the rejects, this is your place,” Elizabeth said. “It’s a chance to dress however you want — do nail polish for the first time. Wear a dress for the first time. As Frank says in the movie, ‘Give yourself over to absolute pleasure.’ With us, you’ll be welcomed; you’ll be loved.”
CAF has been around since 2002, founded by brothers T.J. and Jody Carter, then called Back Row Productions. It’s morphed over the years, with Elizabeth taking over as the group’s leader in 2020, and establishing CAF’s nonprofit 501(c)(3) status this year. CAF is currently expanding its offerings — for example, this year it debuted a shadowcast performance of The Princess Bride, and Elizabeth said CAF is in talks to perform The Room with actor Greg Sestero as a special guest.
“Usually at a play or a movie, you have to be quiet, in your seats, and clap at the right time. That is not the case here,” Elizabeth said. “We want our audience to be yelling at us, making us laugh, interacting with us… It’s a chance to step outside of your world for a night and be a part of Transylvania.”
- Learn more at charlestonsabsentfriends.org.
Find tickets for $24, 10 p.m. Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 at terracetheater.com.
Get scared: Boone Hall Fright Night
It’s hard to remember a fall in Charleston when Boone Hall’s towering castle couldn’t be seen from U.S. Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant, signaling the start of the annual Fright Night attractions. In 2019, S.C. event production company Live Productions, led by Ryan Neal, took over this event that’s been around since 2004. Neal said it continues to grow every year in its attendance, technology and ability to scare.
“We’ve built on what was already a great foundation, and I think we’ve done a good job of taking those things to the next level and listening to guest feedback each and every year,” Neal said. He explained how the Fright Night crew makes new attractions each year from the ground up, starting one year in advance from the event.
This year sees three attractions: the intense haunted house “Ward 8,” the haunted hayride “Fallout,” and “Phobia,” a 20,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor walk through journey through all of the things that people fear — from the dark, to snakes, spiders, death and clowns. The attractions employ a tech crew of about 60 people and more than 160 live actors.
One of those actors has played Tiny the Clown since 2014. Tiny, who wouldn’t reveal his real name, said Fright Night, and getting scared in general, offers folks a safe, controlled adrenaline rush.
“Some people skydive, other people love roller coasters — I think that’s what people are really looking for. Of course, it’s always fun when you bring a friend that absolutely does not want to be there, and then they’re the person that’s freaking out and gets talked about at Waffle House later that night,” he laughed. “I really just want people to come and have fun. Whether we’re scaring you or not, as long as you leave and you’re like, that was fun. We did our jobs.”
- Learn more at boonehallfrightnights.com.
Tickets start at $39 for all three attractions.
Aliens invade: Nightmare at the Navy
There’s a new haunted attraction debuting this year in North Charleston — Nightmare at the Navy. It’s produced by Big Hair Events, led by David “Big Hair” Brisacher, who used to run the now-defunct (but still-talked-about) Skinful Halloween festival. The new family-friendly attraction is a transformation of the Old Navy Yard into an Area 51- inspired alien playground, complete with interactive lasers and projections by local artist Lazer Catcher. Plus, there’s an interactive maze.
“It’s a fully immersive experience of aliens taking over the Navy Yard,” Brisacher said. “You actually get these laser guns where you’re shooting the aliens and actors. There’s animatronics and all these crazy special effects. Then, a golf cart ride takes you around the Naval infirmary and mental hospital, which is already one of the scariest, most creepy-looking buildings in Charleston.”
The event is great for all ages, he added, with a bar for the adults, and it raises funds for the Livity Foundation. It’s the first event in what will become a cultural arts center at the Navy Yard, called Building 64, which will soon host the return of the Kulture Klash arts festival on Nov. 16.
- Learn more at nightmareatthenavy.com. Tickets start at $20.
Chilling romance and dark allure in Dracula
Bram Stoker’s Dracula enjoys an adaptation en-pointe from the Palmetto City Ballet at the Sottile Theatre, a full-length ballet which artistic director Jonathan Tabbert said is “highly romantic and passionate.”
Set against a backdrop of haunting and beautiful sets, this performance brings to life the dark allure of Stoker’s Count Dracula. With a mesmerizing score by Giuseppe Verdi and Bela Bartok and original choreography, “each movement draws you deeper into a gothic world of mystery, passion and suspense,” Tabbert shared. “It is very much based on the original tale — there’s definitely eerie and spooky vibes, but it also involves the relationships that Dracula creates since he has the power to choose who he wants. It’s not just about the horror aspect; this story is so much deeper than that.”
Tabbert is especially excited about the Victorian Gothic costuming that the dancers will wear, and encourages that audience members are also welcome to dress up for the occasion.
- See Dracula at the Sottile Theatre 7 p.m. Oct. 26 and 3 p.m. Oct. 27. Tickets are $45+. Learn more at palmettocityballet.org.
Check out a ghost tour
Ghost tours are perfect for Halloween in a city considered one of the most haunted destinations in America. According to John LaVerne, the owner of Bulldog Tours, it makes sense when you consider our history.
“Over the 350-some years of Charleston, we’ve had a lot of tragedies — from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, five major fires, earthquakes, hurricanes — a lot of people have died on our soil. From a common-sense approach as to why Charleston would be haunted, these tragedies are what it boils down to. When people die unexpectedly, they often have unfinished business left here on Earth, and their ghosts are keen to interact with humans, as I’ve experienced firsthand countless times.”
He founded his company Bulldog Tours in 2001 in an effort to not only share spooky stories, but also to help preserve historical sites. Bulldog has partnered to be the exclusive tour company for the Old Jail, the Provost dungeon, the graveyard at Circular Congregational Church, and the Yorktown — over the last 23 years, Bulldog Tours’ sustainable tourism model has raised over $6 million to preserve these sites.
“Our job is not to convince people of the existence of ghosts. Our job is to tell them really cool, thought-provoking history-backed stories. People get to realize the depth of Charleston’s history through what we do, and just generally have fun and learn something.”
Learn more about Bulldog Tours and its ghost tours at bulldogtours.com.
More ways to celebrate during Hallo-week
Nightmare before Midnight at the Windjammer
Indie-pop band The Midnight City takes the stage at the Windjammer Oct. 25 for a “Nightmare before Midnight” Halloween-inspired concert. Show at 7 p.m., $30 adv/$35 day-of. windjammer.com.
Tin Roof’s annual cover show
West Ashley music venue Tin Roof hosts its annual Halloween cover show starting at 5 p.m. Oct. 27. Local musicians portray their favorite artist and perform a 15 minute set of that artist’s music. $10 to attend. More on Instagram at @tin_roof_charleston.
Snooze Fest at Recovery Room
Wear your best pajamas and onesies for Snooze Fest at Recovery Room,
Oct. 29. Enjoy performances from Ivory Keys, Smxe Doji, Aidey, Hirow and a DJ set from ChristheAlmighty. 9 p.m., $10 to attend. @recoveryroomtavern.
Nightly Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl
Take a tour through Charleston’s oldest and most haunted watering holes with Nightly Spirits “Boos and Booze” tour, starting at $32 per person. Learn more at nightlyspirits.com.
Holy City Halloween turns history on its head
Check out downtown’s haunted house at 34 Woolfe St. Learn more online in our recent City Paper story by Skyler Baldwin. Tickets are on sale now at holycityhalloween.com for $25.
“HalloQween” costume contest at Holy City Brewing
From 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 26, Holy City Brewing hosts “HalloQween,” a drag show and costume contest hosted by Ava Clear, Ebony Wood and Medusa Chaos, with music by DJ DJ. Free to attend. There’s a $500 prize for best costume and more to win. Check out holycitybrewing.com.
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