Historic Colvin House, site of “All Hallows Eve” party on Saturday, October 26. PHOTOGRAPHY BY KYRIAKINA VALAVANIS
Halloween on the North Shore is never limited to one Hallows’ Eve.
Between the Highwood Pumpkin Festival and Ragdale’s “Rags to Witches” event, children of all ages are tiptoeing out in costume from mid-October through the end of the month. While those two popular festivals are over, there are still some fun ways to get into the Halloween spirit.
Lake Bluff History Museum is hosting “Spirits in the Night,” an evening of storytelling fun, next Wednesday, October 30. Further down the shore just south of the Evanston border, Evanstonian (and president of the Evanston Chamber of Commerce) Angela Valvanis is hosting an immersive “All Hallows Eve” party at her restored Colvin House mansion this weekend on Saturday, October 26.
The Lake Bluff event is the second program in the Lake Blue History museum’s Distilling History Series. Created to embrace the darker side of Halloween, “Spirits in the Night,” invites friends of the museum and audience members to share spine-tingling tales from Lake Bluff History Museum tombs (as well as their own personal experiences). The spooky stories will be paired with specialty cocktails and snacks.
Organizers say that if you have a story to tell, they’d love to hear it at this event. Please indicate your interest, when purchasing tickets for your- self—or your group—by selecting the “story-teller” ticket option. They will include as many audience storytellers as time allows. Should they have more storytellers than time available, guests will be randomly selected to tell their tales. To allow more stories to be shared, stories should be no longer than five minutes in length.
This weekend’s event at Colvin House, a historic mansion and event space in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, is held in partnership with Pivot Arts. Featuring immersive performances and an eerie atmosphere, “All Hallow’s Eve” invites guests to tour the mansion to discover secret rites and rituals. Immersive performances will culminate in what owner Valavanis describes as “the darkest of dance parties.” Costumes are highly encouraged.
“Pivot Arts is known for its innovative, engaging performances,” she says. “I’m thrilled to be collaborating with them to produce this year’s Halloween event. It’s sure to delight—or, in this case, terrify!”
The historic Colvin House has hosted Pivot Arts for multiple events since opening to the public two years ago, including immersive theater, music, and dance. The 1909 George Maher mansion is also the second location of Evanston-based Creative Coworking. In addition to providing a shared workspace, meeting place, and business event space, the beautifully restored space is also used for public and private events.
Colvin House’s signature public offering is a bimonthly “Parlor” event, providing salon-style entertainment including music, theater, and dance.
Doors open for “Spirits in the Night” at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 30, at North Shore Distillery, 13990 Rockland Road, in Libertyville. Tickets are $25 and include one drink and snacks. Space is limited and advance purchase is required. Tickets can be purchased online at lakebluffhistory.org/events/spirits-in-the-night.
“All Hallow’s Eve” begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday,October 26, at Colvin House, 5940 N. Sheridan Road, in Chicago. VIP access is granted at 7 p.m. Tickets to the soiree, which includes an open bar with wine, beer, and select cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, dance party with a DJ, and immersive performances, start at $75. They can be purchased at colvinevents.com or through eventbrite.com.
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