Millersburg's Boo in the Burg brings eerie fun to Halloween
If creepy noises, things that go bump in the night and spectral apparitions are on your list of things to experience this Halloween season, Historic Downtown Millersburg is a must for you.
HDM’s annual Boo in the Burg and Ohio Wine Tasting will be held on Saturday, Oct. 28, beginning at 5 p.m., and the event will bring Halloween front and center as visitors can tour old buildings, take the old jail tour and even use real equipment used to identify ghosts.
Historic Downtown Millersburg executive director Judy Lamp said the event is sure to be an eerie, fun-filled evening as Millersburg hosts one of its most wildly attended events of the year.
“With all of the activities we have planned for Boo in the Burg, plus all of the activities our businesses provide around the downtown area, there is just so much to experience,” Lamp said.
The old jail tour through its underground tunnels has become a fan favorite and will provide plenty of creepy moments.
New to the evening this year are walking tours that will take patrons through some of Historic Downtown Millersburg’s older buildings. Led by Mindy Miller, these tours will include the use of electrostatic ghost-hunting equipment that measures light, temperature fluctuations and other aspects of ghost hunting.
“We’ve added walking tours of some of the local buildings, and they’ll have ghost-hunting equipment for every two people on the tour,” Lamp said. “We think there are a couple buildings that will set these machines off, and for patrons to be able to actually operate the equipment is pretty neat. We are very excited about the addition of this event to our schedule because not only does it give people a glimpse into the history of Millersburg, but also it can be pretty eerie. Some of the stories that will be shared tend to lean toward the strange and wonderful.”
Lamp said the guided tours of the old jail have been a staple for Boo in the Burg, but she expects the walking tours to be every bit as enjoyable for those who like to feel the hair on the back of their necks stand up as they explore the supernatural.
The tour of the old jail lasts about 20 minutes and costs $5 per person. The walking tours will begin at 5 p.m. and will go throughout the evening. Tickets are currently on sale at Hotel Millersburg or may be purchased the night of the event on the courthouse lawn. Lamp said that patrons should definitely get their tickets as soon as possible because the tours are limited, and she said they could have run the tours well past midnight last year.
In addition to exploring the spectral spirits, there will be the wine tour, which will take place on Court Street behind the courthouse from 6-9 p.m. The event will feature the offerings of 10 wineries from throughout Holmes, Wayne, Tuscarawas and Stark counties.
“There are some amazing wines that we will be showcasing,” Lamp said. “What is exciting is that all of the wineries are fairly local, and the variety will be awesome. The list includes last year’s seven wineries, plus the addition of French Ridge, Blue Barn and Ugly Bunny.
Friends of One-Eighty, formerly Friends of Every Woman’s House, will provide a delectable showcase of meat, cheese and crackers that should enhance the wine-tasting experience greatly. All of the donations to that portion of the wine-tasting will go directly toward benefiting One-Eighty as it continues to meet the needs of women, children and even some men who are in the throes of domestic abuse.
In the tents next to the wine tasting will be the three-woman group, Tequila Mary, of whom Lamp said, “They have an amazing sound, and they will add a lot to the ambiance of the wine-tasting.”
Boo in the Burg should be an eerily fun experience that will present patrons with every opportunity to enjoy the Halloween holiday season as they explore Historic Downtown Millersburg and some of its unique and strange history.
For more information check out the Historic Downtown Millersburg website at www.historicdowntownmillersburg.com or visit it on Facebook.