Mike Talarico, co-owner of The Empty Grave, has been building, running, and acting in haunted houses for almost 17 years — with three of those years in Longmont next to Wibby Brewing, located at 218 Kimbark St.
And with Friday the 13th falling in October this year, he and his team thought about ways to have a little fun with the infamous date.
They decided to throw a special Friday the 13th event that adds a few additions to the haunted house, whose theme this year is based on the former Longmont Foods Co. poultry processing plant that used to occupy the space the haunted house now sits.
One of the first additions The Empty Grave decided on was adding a free small vendor fair to the public to help local businesses gain an audience.
“We’re going to have a stone and candle healing vendor, a face painter, and a mobile axe-throwing business,” Talarico said. Also, haunt-goers can grab a drink from Wibby Brewing or buy food from a food truck, which will continue operating at the haunt beyond the Oct. 13 event.
A new superstition challenge is another notable addition to The Empty Grave. Those who purchase tickets can walk under a ladder, break a mirror, spill salt or step on a crack.
“As we continued developing the event, black cats are a staple of Friday the 13 and bad luck and superstition, so we reached out to Longmont Humane Society to build some community and asked if they’d be interested in bringing some black cats to the event to encourage adoption,” Talarico said.
The Humane Society was happy to contribute to the event and will bring two or three black cats, according to Deputy Director of the Longmont Humane Society, Cliff Cullen. Attendees can play with them, or they can adopt one to bring home.
The adoption process starts with an on-site hold, with additional paperwork to follow.
Ultimately, it’s all about having a good time and coming together.
“For us, it’s all about providing some spooky fun for the community. We just want it to be a really fun, kinda silly, fall festival atmosphere,” Talarico said.
The Empty Grave will continue to operate past the Friday the 13th event, with the final date of operation Oct. 29.
