The biggest event of every year at Tractor Wells Park is the Stranger Things Arcade Carnival & Bazaar, and this year there will be a whole week’s worth of themed events leading up to Saturday’s extravaganza.

I caught up with Tractor events coordinator Jeremy Kinter to learn about all of the spooky fun, which starts tonight (Monday night).

“Something I’m really excited about for Stranger Things week (is that) we do special events leading up to it,” he said. “Monday, we’re hosting a Ghoulastic Book Fair with Books on the Bosque, Long Hair Records, Comic of Ages, and several local authors that have spooky material. There’s one author who has a specific spooky recipe book. And then, a face painter, too.”

Tuesday will feature a musical doubleheader as Fred Mascherino, formerly of Taking Back Sunday, and No Manners will both perform acoustic sets. Tickets are $12.

“It’s an unplugged session, so they’ll be in the center of the taproom, and everyone will be (seated) all around them,” said Kinter, who noted that it will be the first time No Manners has ever performed an acoustic set (publicly, at least, as those of us who are friends with the band members can attest, they often do acoustic jams at private gatherings).

“Then, on Wednesday, we have Rocky Horror Karaoke, so it will be a Rocky Horror costume and karaoke contest,” Kinter continued. “And then, Thursday, for our weekly Tractor of Terror, we’ll be showing Halloween, and to open things up we’ll have DJ Fishbowl spinning some spooky tracks before the movie.

“Then, on Friday, we have Synyster Vail, he’s the spooky, folk, gypsy music. It’s a packed week of events leading up to Stranger Things, which I’m really excited about this year.”

Tickets are already on sale for $12 apiece, or you can wait until Saturday and pay $15 at the door.

Once inside, it will be time to get nostalgic with classic arcade games galore.

“Yes, the arcade games are back,” Kinter said. “We’re doing even more than last time. There’s probably going to be 14-plus games. All free play, of course.”

Being a big supporter of the arts, Tractor will have quite a bit of art and special vendors around the taproom and in the parking lot outside.

“And then, we have Person of Interest Arts doing a Demigorgon art installation,” Kinter said. “It looks pretty awesome.

“We have Jeremy Montoya and John Sanchez, again, live screen printing a special print. Then we have Dave Grimm, magician, Self Serve doing the famous spanking again, and then we have a caricature artist, a fortune teller, and a face and henna tattoo artist.”

There will be plenty of music, too.

“For the bands, we of course have DJ Riff Rat playing the 80s to open things up,” Kinter said. “We have Space Junk playing Black Sabbath. Then we have Miserable Things playing INXS. And then, Albuqkaraoque playing Queen. This year we went with bands playing 80s covers.”

Umami Moto and Taste of Love Waffles will be on hand to keep everyone well fed. There will also be plenty of Halloween-themed cocktails, and the release of both a new pumpkin porter and the Please Be Kind Rewind Pale Ale. Those will be available at the regular bar inside and a special outdoor bar next to the patio.

Kinter added that 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Blackout Theater Company.

“It’s our favorite event of the year, by far,” he said. “Working with Blackout, they’re so wonderful, and helping them out is always a good thing.”

We could not agree more. A big thanks to Jeremy for the interview, and we look forward to a week full of spooky fun.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister