ATLRetro

Pull back the tent flap and see what happens when the Devil himself brings the circus to town at the Dark Harvest Haunted House at the Academy Theatre in Avondale Estates! Step right up and brave the cornfields of Bradbury Farm, where the souls of a dead town grow right out of the corn, and Mr. Dark’s Nightshade Odditorium, inhabited by the spirits of long dead sideshow freaks. Oh, and did we mention the Killer Clown Maze?

Another example of Atlanta’s talent in designing homegrown haunts, Dark Harvest runs Fri. Oct. 26 through Halloween (Oct. 31), with an opening night Masquerade Ball featuring some spooktacular entertainment on Fri. night and a family-friendly street carnival on Sat. Oct. 27 from noon to 5 p.m. And as an extra treat, proceeds from all the tricks will benefit local charities such as The Academy Theatre, Lifeline Animal Project and The South Dekalb Senior Center.

From Ray Bradbury’s SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES to Erin Morgenstern’s recent bestselling THE NIGHT CIRCUS and countless carnival-themed horror movies (Hammer’s VAMPIRE CIRCUS [1972] is one of our favorites and recently remastered on bluray), it’s well-established in horror fiction that circuses and carnivals can be creepy places. We caught up with Angelo Ritz, the mastermind of the entire mad affair, to find out more about his haunting Halloween history, Retro influences and the Dark Harvest experience.

ATLRetro: What’s the first Halloween haunt that you remember going to as a kid and what about it scared you the most or stayed with you?

When I was about eight years old, The Lake Worth Jaycees put together a charity haunted house at The Palm Beach Mall in West Palm Beach, Fla. The only thing I really remember of that first visit is seeing an 8-foot tall vampire – he seemed that big to an 8-year-old – appear out of nowhere in a strobe room and running all the way to the exit screaming like a Catholic school girl in trouble the entire way!

When did you first become interested in designing your own haunt and when/what was it? 

After that first haunt, I was hooked on horror films – anything from Universal – Famous Monsters of Filmland and anything else I could get my hot little hands on related to monsters. The next Halloween – 1972 to be exact – I built my first haunted house in my living room for the neighborhood Trick or Treaters. It wasn’t much, but I did make one little girl wet herself!

Dark Harvest has a circus/carnival theme and there’s even a Bradbury Farm area and Mr. Dark’s Nightshade Odditorium. How much of an influence was SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury on the design? Was that story particularly scary for you as a child?

I’m thrilled that you picked up on the reference! As a child, I don’t think any other piece of genre literature had a more profound effect on me than SOMETHING WICKED. It wasn’t particularly scary to me, but for the first time I think I finally understood the human side to horror literature, that the true nature of an individual can be more monstrous than any zombie or vampire I had seen up to that point.

What other classic horror stories or movies provided inspiration for Dark Harvest?

I would say Tod Browning’s FREAKS (1932) and a little dash of David Lynch‘s ERASERHEAD (1977).

Clowns are supposed to be funny, but creepy clowns have become a special trope in horror movies and fiction (Stephen King’s IT comes immediately to mind). Who are some of your favorite killer clowns and why do you think clowns are so scary to so many people?

Stephen King’s IT, hands down! All others pale in comparison. The book kept me up nights for about a month! The miniseries may not have been great, but Tim Curry as Pennywise haunted my dreams for a good while after. I think people are frightened by clowns for a very simple reason – you never know what’s really under that white make-up and painted-on smile!

Without giving away any spoilers, is there anything else you’d like to point out that’s different about Dark Harvest compared to Atlanta’s other haunted attractions?

The one big difference is the absence of gore. Don’t get me wrong, gore is very effective in the right context, but considering the source material the show is based on, I felt classic scare techniques were more appropriate.

Tim Curry plays Pennywise in the ABC-TV miniseries of Stephen King's IT (1990).

On Friday night, there’s a masquerade ball. The Artifice Club’s Doctor Q will be spinning, but what else will be going on and will there be costume prizes?

We have a great line-up of live entertainment for the ball. Gwen Hughes and The Retro Jazz Kats, The City Gate Dance Theatre Company, Thimblerig Circusand the incomparable Aqualencia Litre. Everyone who attends also gets a VIP (no waiting in line) ticket to the haunt. For the costume contest, there will be trophies in a few categories. I want to keep those under my hat for now!

The family festival on the weekend reminds me of the Halloween school and church carnivals when we were kids. Do you have a favorite childhood Halloween carnival memory and is that the idea – to bring back that tradition?

I think you hit the nail on the head. After my first living room haunt, I built two houses for middle school fundraisers, and I wanted younger children to be able to have as much fun as I did at that age. We are going to have a few different scare levels during the festival to accommodate all ages, including “ The Trick or Treat Haunted House” for the very young (3 to 5 years old) where the actors will give out candy.

Can you talk briefly about the charities that the haunt will benefit?

The haunt will benefit Lifeline Animal Project – a no-kill shelter and pet-fostering facility. The South Dekalb Senior Center – they are greatly in need of art supplies and an instructor for their senior activity program. And The Academy Theatre’s Theater for Youth outreach program.

Advance tickets for all Dark Harvest festivities, including group discounts, are available at https://www.brownpapertickets.com 

All artwork courtesy of Dark Harvest and provided by Angelo Ritz.

Our top pick for Saturday Oct. 6 is a truly scrumptious tribute to one of our favorite Retro treats. Willy Wonka would appreciate the World of Pure Imagination that is the Sugar Dolls‘ annual Day of the Cupcake celebration. The confectionary-inspired festivities begin at Sacred Heart Tattoo ( Little Five Points location) from noon to 7 p.m. with $50 cupcake tattoos, sugar skull decorating & contest, free cupcakes, games and live performances. Then at 7 p.m., the fun moves to  The Five Spot where a $15 cover ($10 with cupcake tattoo) gets you $5 Lucid Absinthe, free masks for early arrivals and music by bands Christ, Lord, Toy Devils and Till Someone Loses an Eye featuring Aileen Loy, as well as special guests The Thimblerig Circus, The Chameleon Queen, Clay Crockerof Prentice Suspensions and aerial performances by: Lori VanVoorhis, Mara Chanin, Aileen Loy and Alexis Gorsuch. And of course, the Cupcake Eating Contest will be back as well! There’s also an art auction, and eccentric garb is encouraged but not required! The entire day and evening supports Aid Atlanta. Still don’t get what it’s all about. Read more about The Sugar Dolls and last year’s Day of the Cupcake here.

In the mood to eat cupcakes and drink absinthe, now?!  To get in the holiday spirit ahead of time, here’s a special adult cupcake recipe from The Sugar Dolls to tantalize your tastebuds…

The Sugar Dolls

“The Little Death”

Cupcake recipe with “Lucid Absinthe’ “

Cake Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Cocoa or  DARK Cocoa ( depending on how much of a bite you want)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F
Put liners into your cupcakes pan. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin) You may want to use a piping bag to put your batter into you liners, fill liners half way.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes
Cool completely
Lucid Ganche

• 12 ounces chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup heavy cream
• optional 1/4 cup Lucid Absinthe’

Place chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil then slowly add your chocolate while maintaining a stir once melted take off heat and add in your absinthe, let cool.  While that cools you will need to hollow out the center of your cupcakes, then slowly pour the ganache into the center of each cake.
Now to frost!
Lucid Mocha Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons dark fresh brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup Lucid Absinthe’

Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer, Sift  confectioners sugar  and cocoa into the mixing bowl once incorporated add remaining  ingredients.  If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional Absinthe if your feeling frisky  or dark coffee if you need more bite and kick. Either way Whip the mess out of that frosting give it the good beating you want it to give you.  Frost cupcakes.  If you would like a garnish for your cupcakes, make another batch of ganche and once cool, drizzle it a top your tasty treats with a chocolate covered espresso bean or two.

When the Academy Theatre, the Artifice Club and the City of Avondale Estates present the 4th annual S.T.E.A.M.Fest this Sat. April 14 and Sun. April 15, the Steampunk world will come together for one heck of a good time.  Musical and theatrical performers confirmed for the Festival include Philadelphia’s This Way to the Egress, Mister Joe Black from the UK, San Francisco’s Unwoman, Los Angeles’ The Peculiar Pretzelmen, Texan comedic styling of Mr. Saturday and Sixpence, Charleston’s Megan Jean and the KFB, Atlanta’s own The Extraordinary Contraptions and Play It With Moxie, plus The Awalim Dance Company bring steps from the Middle East and Thimblerig Circus giving us the wonders of their fictitious Moldavian homeland, and more.

But why stop with the world when S.T.E.A.M.Fest can hang the Moon? The Academy has acquired an exclusive screening of an amazing restoration of Georges Méliès’ masterpiece, A TRIP TO THE MOON (1902), 110 years after its first release of this hand-painted marvel of early cinema. Steampunk short films of various stripes will be on show all weekend in the fantastic Tea Parlor.

Moving from screen to stage, this year we will feature the world premiere of THE ADVENTURE OF CAPERCALLIE BRIDGE by Maegan Mercer-Bourne, which tells the tale of Mycroft Holmes and his adventures.

S.T.E.A.M.Fest, which stands for Steampunk Theater, Entertainment, Arts and Music Festival, is Atlanta’s only Steampunk arts festival (and, quite possibly the ONLY Steampunk Arts Festival in all the Solar System). Live performances and musical acts will be complemented by many artists, authors, illustrators, actors and filmmakers talking about their involvement in the Steampunk genre. Whether in the vendor/dealer’s room, workshops, panel discussions, a costumes contest, musical and theatrical performances, out by food trucks, or dancing with the DJ’s spinning until the wee hours of the morning, some of the best and brightest in the Steampunk scene will be mixing and mingling with all the guests at the event.

Costumes are encouraged, but not required!  Props are welcome and weapons must be peace-bonded.

Tickets range between $25 to $100 and can be purchased online and at the door, with VIP sales closing down this Saturday, April 7 at midnight.  Be sure to note that there is a discount for young people with a valid high school ID. To find out more, visit the S.T.E.A.M.Fest Website , the  S.T.E.A.M.Fest Facebook page or the S.T.E.A.M.Fest Facebook link Event page . Follow S.T.E.A.M.Fest on Twitter at @ArtificeClub.

Clockwork Carnival and Artifice Club ringmaster DJ Doctor Q

Long for a bygone era that never was of elegance, adventure and glorious gadgetry? Then you may be one of the steampunk subculture growing across America. In Atlanta, one of the prime organizers of activities for aficinados of steampunk is The Artifice Club, founded by DJ and master event planner Doctor Q. Over the past six months or so, the Artifice Club has put on a number of affairs both independently and as part of other steampunk and alt-history gatherings such as Anachrocon.

This Saturday April 16, however, The Artifice Club is pulling out all the stops to present The Clockwork Carnival, a veritable steampunk circus featuring a night full of gypsies, fire eaters and other curiosities at The Goat Farm. Featured acts encompass who’s who of entertainers in the vibrant local scene including The Imperial Opa, Hot Toddies Flaming Cabaret, the amazing aerial feats of Blast-Off Burlesque‘s Sadie Hawkins, Thimblerig Circus, Pyro Salto of Birmingham, AL, music by DJs Doctor Q and The Davenport Sisters, and more. Also planned are a Vendor’s Market Caravan, photography sessions, The Circus Contraption Contest with prizes awarded for the most creative device you would need to work at a carnival, and a steampunk costume contest to crown the King and Queen of the Carnival. Festivities start at 4 PM and will last into the very wee hours of the night, we suspect.

ATLRetro askedRingmaster and DJ extraordinaire Doctor Q for a sneak preview of the fabulous festivities, and he kindly obliged…

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