Enjoy a Bit of Spooky Fun at 2nd Annual Downtown Ghost Walks

SAN ANGELO, TX - This weekend, the downtown Halloween festivities kicked off a little earlier than usual. Most locals have heard the eerie stories surrounding the Cactus Hotel, Ft. Concho and the old Shannon Hospital, but now San Angeloans have the chance to partake in a guided street tour and enjoy many more untold stories.

Caity and Suzy Roberts, a mother and daughter team, are the Project Manager/Director(s) for the Be Theatre in San Angelo. Over the years, they have gone to several 'Ghost Walks' in other cities that have them year round, such as San Antonio and New Orleans. The two are really into Halloween, and decided last year to hold their own Ghost Walks here in San Angelo. Since the Be Theatre is a non-profit organization, the event was held as a fundraiser.

Elena Kent, Artistic Director, said, "Last year, I was pretty skeptical wondering how San Angelo would respond, but, in the first day and a half, we had sold out six Ghost Walk tours. The response was amazing. We had to add several more tours that Halloween weekend, and those sold out as well.  Since 2015's event had such an overwhelming response, we decided to make it a three-week event this year." 

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Thus, Caity and Suzy focused on talking to historians, store owners and merchants, as well as reading articles in preparation for this event since there is a lot of story telling on these tours.  

"For each tour, there are 20 guests with two tour guides," Kent said. "It's a great way for people to learn the history of San Angelo, like when certain buildings were built, and of course keeping with the Halloween theme-hear the scary stories where people lost their lives and spirits sometimes linger."  

She added that, for this event, the group is more interested in passing along the stories shared over the decades rather than concentrating on paranormal activity.

So for those who wish to hear these stories, the tickets are $10 each, and the people who lead the tours are all volunteers through the Be Theatre. There will be the extra scripted theatrics added to the already chilling ghost stories.

Kent said, "We're offering over 30 tours and eight have already sold out. There will be four tours a night, each starting at 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, for the next two weekends. On the last weekend of the month, since Halloween falls on a Monday, tours will be held that Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday night." 

Kent said one lady bought out a whole tour slot for a party. Each tour is an hour and a half, but that is not all walking. It's walking and stopping. 

"We don't go into any buildings, and the route will include the Cactus Hotel and Texas Theater," she noted.

Last year, Kent said, "One night it poured rain, but everyone who signed up brought their umbrellas, and even though they ended up soaking wet, they still had a blast; so yes, we will go rain or shine." 

The idea of walking in a group, listening to the stories, and actually seeing where things happened is so much more rewarding than looking something up on a cell phone; so get up, get out and go have some fun San Angelo. 

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For more information and to buy tickets, go to www.betheatre.com, or call (325) 716-4125.  

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