Grove Roots Brews Up Spooky Spirits For 3rd Annual Spooktacular Halloween Party
by James Coulter
She was working in the bar late one night, when her eyes beheld an eerie sight: for some ooze from the beer keg began to rise, and suddenly to her surprise…
No, it wasn’t the monster mash, but the “radioactive” glow-in-the-dark fun within the packing house proved to be quite the “graveyard smash” for Morgan Wilson and the others at Grove Roots during its annual Halloween Spooktacular on Saturday evening.
Wilson normally serves as the Chief Operating Officer and Bar Manager of Grove Roots. On Saturday evening, she served as a mad scientist serving peculiar concoctions within a black-lit bar decorated with glow-in-the-dark bones and “radioactive” ooze.
The “packing house” backroom of the brewery was darkened to pitch black with several black lights and glow-in-the-dark decorations, serving as a spooky mad-science themed ballroom for that evening’s festivities.
Meanwhile, the courtyard outside was decorated as a spooky graveyard with several gravestones, animatronic zombies and werewolves, and a dry ice fog machine, providing spooky fun for all ages.
Most of the decorations that evening, especially the glow-in-the-dark decorations provided for the black-lit ballroom, were provided by Bolin Productions.
Whether you were a young child dressing up in your Halloween costume a week before going trick-or-treating, or you were an adult sampling some of the specialty craft beer selections, the Spooktacular Halloween Party had a little bit of spooky fun for all ages.
“It has been amazing,” Wilson said. “Every year, we try to add on…to have more people come in and have a night out for Halloween. I like to see everybody dress up, it is a fun time for adults to let loose.”
For the past three years, the annual Halloween event has drawn in a larger and larger turnout for the downtown craft brewery in Winter Haven. Last year saw more than 100 attendees pack the back room area alone, and this year’s celebration had expectations for an even greater turnout.
“Last year, we had a 100 people dancing, so we are expecting about the same,” she said. “So far it looks to be on course. It always gets going a little later, but we have a good crowd for how early it is.”
Grove Roots hosts various holiday and seasonal events throughout the year to bring in diverse crowds both young and old. The local brewery prides itself in being a community-centric venue, with event such as this to help draw in the local community.
“It is inclusive to everyone,” she said. “We are first and foremost a community centric center, so children are always allowed.”
Grove Roots will be hosting its “Beer Thankful” Thanksgiving Eve Party on Nov. 27 from noon to 11 p.m. It also plans on hosting its annual Christmas celebration sometime in December. For more information, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groverootsbrewing/
