Granbury Paranormal Expo
With Halloween right around the corner, it’s never too early for a good scare.
Of course, there’s more to the Seventh Annual Granbury Paranormal Expo than frightening details. There’s fun for all ages.
The Expo will kick off the Halloween season Saturday, Sept. 29 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. It will feature a street festival in the middle of Granbury’s historic downtown square and is free to the public.
“Each year, the Granbury Paranormal Expo just gets better and better,” said Brandy Herr, co-founder of the event. “We can’t wait for this year to be the best one yet, with something fun for kids of all ages.”
The event features ghost hunters, psychics, and an assortment of horror, science fiction, cosplay, fantasy and more.
“My mother, Coletta Henderson, came up with the idea for the Expo after having been inspired from the ghost tour (which she and Brandy host weekly in Granbury) and from our involvement with a paranormal investigation group, Research and Investigation of the Paranormal,” Herr said. “She thought it might be fun to hold an event at the Granbury Conference Center where other paranormal groups and like-minded people could gather and network. She sent out feeler emails to several groups and businesses and received overwhelming support for the idea.”
The event was held at the conference center from 2012-15, but then it simply got so popular that it needed more space.
“We realized we had outgrown the Conference Center and decided to move it to the Granbury Square, thus opening up the possibility of expanding our reach to not just the paranormal, but also to horror, sci-fi, cosplay, fantasy, etc, since these genres hold so many crossover fans,” Herr said.
“These types of events do seem to be growing in popularity. It’s now deemed cool to be what society would otherwise see as the ‘outsider,’ so interest in anything weird, unexplained, or outside the norm has almost become mainstream and encompasses people from all ages and demographics.”
This year’s special celebrity guest will be Corin Nemec. He is the star of Stephen King’s “The Stand,” “Stargate SG-1,” “Supernatural,” “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose,” and many other projects. He was an Emmy nominee for his role in “I Know My First Name is Steven.”
Joining Nemec as guest speakers will be:
*Tui Snider, author of “Paranormal Texas.” She is an award-winning author, photographer, musician and speaker who specializes in quirky, haunted and downright bizarre destinations. Her other works include “The Lynching of the Santa Claus Bank Robber” and “Unexpected Texas.” Her most recent book is an international best-seller entitled “Understanding Cemetary Symbols.”
*Becky Vickers, writer of the weekly blog “Beck’s Everyday Ghost Hunters.” She has been researching the paranormal for more than 35 years, starting as a young girl as she said that is how she communicated with her beloved grandfather who died unexpectedly.
*lndependent filmmaker Christopher R. Mihm. His works include a series of award-winning films of the “Mihmiverse” series, which pay homage to the 1950s drive-in theaters. Among his other works is his 2006 retro-styled film “The Monster of Phantom Lake,” which was made on a minuscule budget and went on to win multiple awards on the film festival circuit. Since then, he has focused on releasing one authentic-as-possible 1950s style feature each year.
Also, the alternative folk band Willow Song will be presenting a musical performance. Tugg the Bull Terrier will also be making a special guest appearance, as will the renowned YouTube show “The Paranormal Files.”
Cosplay, or dressing in costumes, will continue to be a main attraction this year. Visitors will meet many costumed characters and even take pictures with movie replica vehicles. Visitors are welcome and encouraged to come in costume themselves.
Among the cosplay and attractions will be Maui and Moana, David S. Pumpkins (from the popular “Saturday Night Live” skit starring Tom Hanks),” Dr. Who” characters, an assortment of superheroes, and “Ghostbusters.” The DFW Ghostbusters will also be bringing an Ecto-1 vehicle replica, and there will likely be a Tardis replica from “Dr. Who.”
Capes for Kindness, one of the featured cosplay groups, will be accepting donations at their booth of gently used Halloween costumes to give out to children in the North Texas area.
“It’s something so unique, something so unlike anything that’s been done in Granbury before. We offer a little something for just about everyone, and we hope that our attendees get to enjoy a weird yet wonderful experience,” Herr said. “Halloween is such a popular holiday, and what better way to kick off the season by having a giant party?”
For the latest news and updates on the event, visit www.GranburyParanormalExpo.com and like the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GranburyParanormalExpo. Herr can be reached at GranburyGhosts@gmail.com or 817-559-0849.