It’s time to put away your swim suits and your googles, and trade them in for cozy cardigans and pumpkin spice-everything. Summer’s gone. It’s spooky season.
And if spooky season had a mayor, at least in Fayetteville, that mayor would be local pinball bar proprietor and party-thrower extraordinaire Bo Counts, who will be decking out his Pinpoint bar on Block Avenue into a Halloween wonderland called “Nightmare of Block Street” from Sept. 29-Oct. 31.
Counts, also known also known as local DJ Beat Bachs, he has been throwing some of the biggest Halloween parties in Fayetteville for more than a decade. For the last few years, he’s expanded the one or two night events to a full month-long celebration.
“We are thrilled to bring back ‘Nightmare on Block Street’ to Fayetteville this Halloween season,” Counts said. “We’ve set the bar on Halloween events in NWA for years and this year promises to be no different! It’s the perfect place to celebrate the spookiest time of the year with friends!.”
As he always does for the Halloween season, Counts will be going all out with his giant Halloween decor collection for the event this year. This year, the bar will include 12 themed areas, “creating an immersive and eerie atmosphere that will transport visitors to a world of Halloween horrors and many of your favorite characters from horror history,” he said.
Counts will also be bringing out his spookiest Pinball machines for the occasion. Limited-edition machines, including The Addams Family (1992), Freddy: A Nightmare on Elm Street 1994), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1993) and others will make an appearance for the event.
The event will also included themed craft cocktails, including tasty themed drinks served in blood bags, cauldrons, and laboratory beakers, along with a “Hoppy Halloween IPA” beer brewed exclusively for the occasion by local brewery, Crisis.
This year, local bakery Wildflour Kitchen will also be involved, creating a variety of Halloween-themed snacks for the occasion as well.
In addition, this year Pinpoint has partnered with Sweet Freedom Cheese and Arkansas Wine and Spirits to host spooky wine and cheese parings in the alleyway nearby formerly home to Nine’s Alley. The events, called Terroir from Brie-ond the Grave is set for Oct. 18 and 25, though additional events may be added. Tickets to the tastings are now on sale.
Other events, including full moon markets and movie screenings are also in the works, though those details will be released at a later date.
Nightmare on Block Street will be open Tuesday-Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight (or later), and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. until 2 a.m.
For more information, visit the website at nightmareonblockstreet.com.
