This month, an eerie transformation is sweeping across the country as the Black Lagoon pop-up emerges in various locations all over North America, with a notable appearance at local favorite Evel Pie in Las Vegas. The limited-time experience transports guests to an immersive setting inspired by the chilling aesthetics of horror culture, creating a perfect haunt for thrill-seekers and fans of the macabre. Visitors are invited to indulge in themed cocktails and enjoy the thoroughly intriguing ambiance, making Black Lagoon a destination that fuses the love for spine-tingling tales with culinary creativity.
Exploring the Black Lagoon Pop-Up Experience
The concept began when the founders saw a hole in the niche of thematic cocktail experiences. “Black Lagoon was inspired by Kelsey and I’s shared love for all things spooky and a lack of fun things for grown-ups like us to do during the spooky season,” Co-founder Erin Hayes told us. “We saw so much happening in terms of cocktail experiences around other holidays but nothing for Halloween.” Each Black Lagoon features its own flavor and style. “We encourage all of our venues to create an experience that reflects their team and the bar’s personality. You will see some similar decor popping up at every venue, leaning to the scary side versus the kitschy kid-friendly vibes.”
Black Lagoon events can be found this month from coast to coast, with events in Las Vegas, Reno, Nashville, San Francisco, Austin, and more. “We hand select all of our venues,” Hayes explained. “Our partners have to be able to execute great cocktails and offer amazing hospitality, as well as be excited to buy in fully to the theme and go all out with the decor to create a truly immersive experience. The craft cocktail movement has really opened up the pathway to making this pop-up happen in pretty much any city; you are hard-pressed to find a city this day where there aren’t at least a handful of bars making great drinks along with a population of folks who enjoy visiting them.”
Make sure to take in all of the carefully thought-out details. “There are a lot of great Halloween experiences out there, but there’s not many that pull together so many great elements, great cocktails and a goth/metal/horror soundtrack to go along with the entire vibe,” Co-founder Kelsey Ramage told us. “It’s just exactly where we want to be during the spooky season!” Hayes agrees. “We love the “Easter eggs,” so to speak. No surface is left untouched, so each time you visit your local Black Lagoon, you can find something new! We also love that a lot of our partner venues go all in on entertainment featuring spooky drag, burlesque and all sorts of other spooky moments!”
