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Halloween-themed ‘Nightmare on the Avenue’ pop-up bar opening this month in Del Ray

By James Cullum
The Nightmare On The Avenue pop-up bar at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue is open. (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Nightmare on the Avenue popup is returning to Del Ray later this month, the owner tells ALXnow.

Homegrown Restaurant Group (HRG) expects the annual Halloween-themed bar at 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue to be ready for business in mid-September. That means customers should expect a fully decorated experience with spooky craft cocktails and a food menu.

The seasonal popup is located between HRG’s other Del Ray restaurants Pork Barrel BBQ and Holy Cow Del Ray on Mount Vernon Avenue. Over the summer, the location was home to the LGBTQ+ popup, Pride on the Avenue. Earlier this year, HRG transformed the space into their ski lodge concept, Aspen on the Avenue.

“We’ll be opening in mid-September, so keep an eye out,” said HRG partner Bill Blackburn. “We don’t want to handcuff ourselves to a date, but somewhere in mid-September.”

Blackburn said that the goal is to make the pop-up interior more decorated than last year.

Nightmare on the Avenue will wrap up with a Day of the Dead party on Saturday, Nov. 2. The space will then close for three weeks and reopen after Thanksgiving for the Christmas-themed popup, Joy on the Avenue.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.