News

Two Halloween-Themed Bars Are Popping Up This Fall in Midtown Village

Nightmare Before Tinsel and Haunt are going for chills and thrills with candy corn cocktails, spooky decor, and even a room full of eyeballs.


nightmare before tinsel haunt halloween bar philadelphia

Nightmare Before Tinsel | Photo by Kory Aversa

For the past two Decembers, the folks at Craft Concepts Group have transformed a former jewelry store at 116 South 12th Street into glitzy, wrapping paper-covered Christmas-themed bar. Now, they’re doing the same for Halloween with a new seasonal pop-up called Nightmare Before Tinsel.

The bar will feature haunted house-worthy props, art, and decor like a haunted casket, a giant spider web alley, a zombie wall, a skull-themed bar, and a room of 1,001 eyes. The bar—customized by Philadelphia artist Scott Johnson— will serve fall beers as well as cocktails inspired by local Halloween tropes: think Edgar Allen Poe and candy corn, which was invented in Philly.

Nightmare Before Tinsel is set to open in early October. Costumes are encouraged, but not required.

Right around the corner, another spooky concept is popping up: Haunt, a Halloween bar, will open in the second floor of Tod Wentz’s soon-to-open Pearl Tavern at 1123 Chestnut Street.

It’s a collaboration between Townsend Wentz Restaurant Group and Arts in the Industry, a resource for artists working in hospitality, that’s being led by Townsend manager and Arts in the Industry founder Alison Hangen. Haunt opens Thursday, October 3rd and runs through Sunday, November 3rd.