For the fifth year in a row since the idea was first conjured during the dark days of COVID, the Spirits of Wake Forest will be brought to life once again in the form of talented actors telling tales from the storied past of Wake Forest while strolling through its modern Downtown streetscape.
Lasting approximately 75 minutes and featuring some frightening folklore involving well-known spaces such as the train depot, The Cotton Company and Broadsides & Brews, the tours that began on Sept. 26 and conclude at the end of All Hallows Eve are held twice daily on Thursdays and Fridays at 6:30 and 8 p.m., and four times on Saturdays at 6:30, 7, 8 and 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online.
Guided by experienced actors from Firebox Theatre Company located above The Cotton Company on White Street, the original information about the haunted happenings around town came from the Wake Forest Historical Museum. A script was composed with the committee gathering information from Downtown businesses.
Flawlessly delivered, the tours have attracted some 800 people per year, raising funds for Wake Forest Downtown (WFD) and featuring some of the best Wake Forest has to offer. The mission of WFD is to champion the economic health, growth and vitality of Downtown Wake Forest, in collaboration with Downtown stakeholders.
In 2023, local paranormal investigators Ex V Planis led by John Killian, looked into the numerous reports of mysterious occurrences over the years and found considerable “activity.” "I’ve learned so much about our slightly creepy, cozy little town," said Libby Lightner-Kemp, owner of Libby's Hands-On Wellness, who serves on the Wake Forest Downtown board. "I mean, murders and train wrecks, arson and ghosts haunting some of your favorite business in town?! It’s great to hear exclaims of 'wow that’s crazy' or 'I had no idea that happened here!' Plus, it’s the perfect time of year for a slightly spooky wander around town at night, that can be topped off with a bite or a drink right in town."
Before getting involved with the tours, Lightner-Kemp was just another participant looking for something fun to do in the fall. "My family and I were so taken with the stories and the history, we talked about it for weeks after," she said. "Every year since then I’ve been lucky to be involved in gathering stories, researching history, and even working with paranormal investigators. And I love that we get to share all of that in new ways each year."
Dolores Riggins, owner of Southern Suds and Gifts, said she loves spooky stories and history. "My family and I always go on a ghost tour when we go on vacation," she said. "For years I thought about how wonderful a spirit walk would be in downtown Wake Forest, and I wanted to be part of it.
Together with Kent Lower, fellow WFD Board Member and owner of CIRCA Magazine, and Lisa Hayes, Downtown Development Director, Riggins said they began talking about putting one together in August of 2020. "We had all wanted to do this for a long time," Riggins said. "In six weeks, we had a script, storytellers and buy-in from the Wake Forest Downtown Board of Directors. We were thrilled we were able to make it happen with loads of help from many wonderful individuals. The tour has grown and gotten better each year. It’s truly a passion of mine."
One of five tour guides who conduct the tours, Richard Wood, has been performing on stage and off for the better part of 50 years. "This is probably the most challenging role I have ever performed," he said. "More than a tour guide, I am an actor, performer and a storyteller -- and I love to tell stories. "Each stop on the tour allows me to perform a different role."
In terms of preparation for this lengthy performance, Wood considers this the most important part of being a successful storyteller on the tours. One example involves research he did about a mother of 7 who was murdered in the early 1950s. "I learned some things about her and her family, information I used to help prepare me to tell the story,” he said. "I want the audience to walk away with a different feeling about the character; perhaps tell others and make this character real."
Tom Barbieri has been a storyteller with Spirits of Wake Forest since the beginning, and says it’s been a delight to watch it grow and evolve. “I believe we are really providing something special to the community, while supporting local small businesses in Wake Forest,” Barbieri said. A huge fan of Halloween, he considers it his duty to spread the Halloween spirit. “Being a storyteller and doing my absolute best to give our guests goosebump spine-tingling chills helps me to achieve this goal,” he said.
Having done this for 5 seasons now, Barbieri said he’s familiar with the route and “how to weave the subtleties of the environment into the stories during the tour.” But because the script does change significantly year-to-year, one of his challenges is updating my own approach to accommodate the new content. “I also like to add my own personal touches,” he said.
Barbieri testifies to experiencing a paranormal event on a tour one year himself. “I've interviewed local business owners and employees to gather additional details of some of the hauntings, and I was fortunate to be included in the paranormal investigations that occurred in 2023,” he said. “I try to work all of this extra content into my stories, while staying true to the script and fitting it all into the allotted time. To prepare, I'll visit these local businesses again each year for updates, and I'll usually rehearse the full tour 3-4 times before we open to set my timing and find my pace.”
Wake Forest Downtown Development Specialist Camryn Guttierez and Special Events Coordinator Suja Jacobs also contribute considerably to these events. "Spirits of Wake Forest is a thrilling experience you won’t want to miss," Gutierrez said. "The tours are filled with haunted history and fun facts about the heart of our community."
Formerly held at Joyner Park and attracting some 6,000 folks last year, the 2024 Halloween Boo Bash will move downtown on October 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The move comes as more space is needed for parking to accommodate the many who flock to this festive fall event to include inflatables, food trucks and a variety of ghostly games and activities. Costumes are optional, but the best may be featured on the Town website and social media pages.
"As more and more people make their way to Wake Forest, we are thrilled to host these popular Halloween events," said Jason Cannon, President of the Wake Forest Business & Industry Partnership (WFBIP). “We have so many stories to tell about our history and it's been great fun to hear some of the scarier ones told by the talented tour guides and actors from Firebox Theatre."
