Factory of Terror adds to the spooky fun with Zombie Bar Crawl in Canton
CANTON − Walking up to the first stop on the Zombie Bar Crawl, the carnival and clown-themed bar offered only a hint of what awaited at the Factory of Terror haunted house.
Creative drinks and cocktails were served, including the Poison Apple featuring Crown Apple, Fireball and apple juice and the Screamcicle concoction of Pinnacle Whipped Vodka, Stolichnaya Ohranj Vodka, orange juice and ice cream.
Music pumped from a sound system at the bar named Carnevil. Lights flashed. Greeting visitors was Pennywise, the creepy clown from the Stephen King movie, "It." A cluster of animatronic clowns burst from behind a curtain, one of them wielding a chainsaw.
Guests stood or sat at tables and mingled happily while sampling beverages. Everybody was in a festive mood as they enjoyed a weekend night, anticipating the next stop in the new Halloween-themed bar crawl.
Carnevil was a mere tease. Still to be discovered were three more specialty bars tucked within the sprawling Factory of Terror, a popular draw in the region's haunted house scene for years at 4125 Mahoning Road NE.
The scare house unveiled the Zombie Bar Crawl last week at an invitation-only preview. And, based on the enthusiastic response from attendees, the new feature will enhance the overall haunt this season while also giving visitors a stand-alone bar hop option.
When the Factory of Terror opens to the public Friday, tickets will be divided into those who only want to hang out at the bars and those who want the full haunted house experience with bar stops.
Guests who are 21 or older and purchase the full admission ticket to the Factory of Terror ($25 to $35 depending on the date) will automatically be able to visit four individual bars and all of the haunted shows. Zombie Bar Crawl tickets are $15 per person and will allow guests access to the four themed bars, as well as to Bullseyes Axe Bar.
Beverages are not included with ticketed admission and must be purchased separately; prices range from $4 for beer to $8 for signature cocktails. Besides the specialty drinks, domestic beers and Angry Orchard hard cider are served, along with Great Lakes Oktoberfest, Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA and White Claw Hard Seltzer.
More:10 things to know about the Factory of Terror
Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets at https://fotohio.com/ in order to guarantee a spot. Tickets also can be purchased in person at the box office on site depending on availability. Factory of Terror hours are 7 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
The Zombie Bar Crawl is open 6:30 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Zombie Bar crawl features 'The Abyss'
The Zombie Bar Crawl exudes a hip vibe with fun, spooky touches. Strolling from bar to bar past the exteriors of the haunted attractions, visitors will see ample eerie decor without costumed people waiting to scare you and without being exposed to overtly gory scenes.
Bar crawl patrons also have the opportunity to walk through "The Abyss," a new show featuring fog and mist, as well as a pitch-black maze and laser swamp maze. Or they can forgo stepping into the show and continue to the next bar.
Bars include the greenhouse-themed Poison Ivy's; the Bourbon Street and voodoo-inspired Forsaken; and the pirate-styled One-Eyed Jack's. Ending the crawl is Bullseyes Axe Bar.
Kim Shapiro, operator of Twisted Citrus restaurant in North Canton, which includes seasonal pop-up bars, helped create the themed beverages.
Featured drinks at Poison Ivy's are the Wicked Watermelon Margarita, made with Hornitos Silver Tequila, Tres Agaves margarita mix and Watermelon Pucker. The signature shot is the "Killer Cactus," made with Jameson Irish Whiskey, sour mix and peach schnapps.
"We really tried to create the drinks based on the theme, so the ones you see in the Carnevil are something you might see at a circus or a fun twist on a circus," Shapiro said.
The "Soul Sucker," featured at multiple bars, is made with Smirnoff Sours Berry Lemon vodka and sour mix. At One-Eyed Jack's, the specialty shot is the "Captain Jack," made with Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, Jack Daniel's, honey whiskey, lime juice and simple syrup.
Forsaken plays on the Louisiana theme and serves the "Haunted Hurricane," which consists of Southern Comfort, 99 Bananas, fruit juices and Grenadine with a SoCo Float.
Adults can enjoy drinks while their kids explore the haunted house
John Eslich, owner of Factory of Terror, said the new bar crawl is unique in the industry because it's integrated into the haunted house.
Eslich, a 20-year veteran of the business, said he had noticed trends with adult customers once he started offering alcohol at some of his haunted house attractions in the region.
Some of the customers would linger at the bar instead of moving through to the last two haunted shows. And parents might go through one or two of the shows with their kids, and then send their children to the last few scary attractions while they enjoyed an adult beverage, he explained.
Adding the bar crawl offers more ways for families to enjoy the Factory of Terror, Shapiro said.
At Forsaken, the Bourbon Street-themed bar, kids are permitted and can take a break and eat Dippin' Dots or buy a Gatorade or a soda while their parents enjoy a drink, she explained. Children then can go through two more haunted shows before meeting up at the end at the pirate bar.
"For families that want to come, and the kids want to go through, but the parents don't necessarily want to be scared, it gives them an opportunity to have somewhat of a shared experience," Shapiro said.
'This one definitely tops them all.'
Each bar is elaborately decorated with a distinct mood. The craftsmanship of the props and adornments is on par with what Factory of Terror patrons have come to expect and appreciate.
Costume and set designers, artists, decorators, technicians and others have worked with Eslich to develop the original experience. Months of off-season work has included staff attending haunt conferences and visiting cities like New Orleans, where inspiration was drawn from cemeteries and local and historic architecture.
Chris Virgilio, of the Willoughby-based Rotten Apple Creative, said there's nothing else like the Zombie Bar Crawl in Northeast Ohio.
"I don't know anywhere else you can go and view a full pirate ship and the cabanas and (shanty town) and the scenery and just the elements of this whole event they have put together period," said Virgilio, who owns and operates the independent set design company. "It's unbelievable; it's a once in a lifetime experience."
"You got to really appreciate this for the art that it is," he said while crediting Eslich and others for their efforts. "Every single thing starts out as a brand new, pre-approved piece of structural lumber that is then taken and painted … with five to six different colors, (and) typically hand painted on."
Spring Hartman, 53, of Canton, has worked at Factory of Terror for 16 seasons, including as an actor and with set and costume design.
"Some days I'm making beautiful things like some of the new costumes for the bars," she said. "And other days, I'm making creepy, gross stuff for the inside of the haunts."
Watching and hearing the reaction of guests is rewarding, Hartman said.
"When they come out and go, 'Oh my God, did you see that costume or her dress was so beautiful or ... did you see all the blood and grossness on him?,' that warms my heart and makes me go, 'Yes, my job has been completed.'"
All of the effort was on full display during the bar crawl's trial run.
Doug Hampton, 48, of North Canton, and Tiffany Evans, 38, of Perry Township, were among those who were impressed during the sneak peek.
"It's a destination for everyone − adults, kids," Hampton said. "Everyone can come and have a good time. Kids can come go to the Factory of Terror and adults come and drink − it's a win-win."
Evans said the bar concoctions help put the Factory of Terror over the top in the haunted house realm.
"The shots are really good," she said. "We've been sharing them. ... They're really creative and they have creative names to go with each of the themes, so the bar experience is awesome.
"I'm not a huge haunted house person," Evans added. "But (compared to) the ones I have been to, this one definitely tops them all. Not only with the different themes, but they literally thought of everything. From the decorations to the lighting to just everything. I mean, things that I wouldn't even have thought of."
Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com. On Twitter: @ebalintREP.
If you go
What − Factory of Terror haunted house, 4125 Mahoning Road NE in Canton.
What's new − Zombie Bar Crawl inside the Factory of Terror
When − Factory of Terror hours are 7 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; and 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday. The Zombie Bar Crawl is open 6:30 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Admission − $25 to $35 for the Factory of Terror depending on the date; Zombie Bar Crawl tickets are $15 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at https://fotohio.com/ and at the box office on site depending on availability.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Zombie Bar Crawl offers cool cocktails, spooky vibe at haunted house
